Latest Trends in Child Pedestrian Safety: A Five Year Review

“Latest Trends in Child Pedestrian Safety: A Five Year Review,” is a look at child pedestrian safety issues, including demographic information on the victims, where and when these incidents are taking place and information on the drivers involved in these incidents. Between 1995 and 2004, the total number of children ages 14 and under killed as pedestrians decreased by 40 percent. Data from the Department of Transportation's National Center for Statistics and Analysis, Fatality Analysis Reporting System was obtained to study trends in child pedestrian-related fatalities. This data contained records of all motor vehicle incidents that involved child pedestrians ages 0 to 14 from 2001 to 2005. Children ages 2, 13 and 14 accounted for the highest number of pedestrian deaths during the five years studied. While the number of pedestrian deaths is highest for white children ages 0-14, black children have the highest rate of death as pedestrians involved in motor vehicle incidents. After-school hours and dusk remain the most dangerous times for child pedestrians. The greatest number of child pedestrian deaths due to motor vehicle incidents occur during May and October. Drivers aged 16 to 25 have been involved in more incidents where a child pedestrian was killed than any other age group, with males are at the wheel during fatal incidents more than twice as often as females. A multifaceted approach which includes education, advocacy and engineering for safer pedestrian environments is necessary to continue the prevention of injuries and encourage more children to walk.