"Walk Our Children To School Day"

BINGHAMTON, NY - On Wednesday, October 8, 2003, Broome County is recognizing National "Walk Our Children to School Day." This is one more step on Broome County's path toward becoming a "Walkable Community." The Vestal Rail Trail, the Otsiningo Park Trail extension, the addition of bicycle lanes in road reconstruction projects, and the Binghamton Waterfront Development are examples of our community commitment to becoming a safe and healthy place to walk.

Several area schools are participating in the campaign to promote "Walk Our Children to School Day": Horace Mann (Binghamton City School District), and Vestal Hills and Clayton Avenue Elementary (Vestal School District). The simple activity of walking your children to school yields many benefits," says Claudia A. Edwards, Broome County Public Health Director. "Everyone becomes more familiar with the world's most accessible, enjoyable and effective exercise. It provides an excellent opportunity to teach pedestrian safety and identify safe routes to and from school. It creates awareness of how walkable a community is and where improvements can be made, as well as giving parents and children the opportunity to spend valuable time together."

Walking is a great way to get exercise and simply to get around. Unfortunately, walking is not always safe. Nearly 4,800 pedestrians are killed in traffic-related incidents in the United States annually. Most are young children, the elderly, and persons who are intoxicated.

"These deaths among children are highest in the 5-15 year-old age group and are higher among boys than girls. Children ages 5-19 are disproportionately 31% of all pedestrians killed and injured in Broome County as compared to 28% for New York State, according to the latest reports from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Child pedestrians tend to sustain more serious injuries to the head and neck than adults, in part because of children's smaller size," says Edwards.

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's (NHTSA) "Walk Alert" program reveals the manner in which children are injured as pedestrians varies by age. For example:

• Toddler pedestrian injuries are mainly as a result of being run over by a driver backing a vehicle in the driveway. Toddlers' small size makes them difficult for drivers to see, especially if they are playing behind the vehicle.
• Preschoolers' injuries typically result from children darting out between two parked cars on a residential street. Children this small are easily hidden from the view of drivers by parked cars, trucks, or bushes. Preschool children often are not able to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately.
• Pedestrian injuries among children ages 6-12 occur mainly from collisions with a car in the middle of the block and on busy streets. Many parents overestimate their children's street-crossing ability. The truth is that many elementary-school-aged children still don't understand traffic signals and patterns and can confuse left and right when crossing a street. Also, adult drivers often incorrectly assume that a child will always yield the right-of-way.

You can greatly reduce your child's chances of pedestrian injury if you follow these simple safety tips:

• Supervise young children and do not leave them alone to play, especially near a street or the driveway.
• Obey the school safety patrol crossing guard or police officer when walking near a school.
• Teach children to cross streets at a corner, use crosswalks (whenever possible), and obey the traffic signals. Teach them to check for approaching vehicles before crossing even with the green light or "walk" sign on.
• Make sure children under age 10 are supervised when crossing the street. You may also need to supervise older children, especially when they cross streets with heavy traffic or more than two lanes.
• Teach children to look left-right-left again before crossing a street and to keep looking as they cross. Practice this behavior with them until they master it.
• Teach children to walk facing oncoming traffic if no sidewalks are available.
• Wear light-colored clothing if walking at dawn, at dusk, or after dark. Even better, wear reflective tape (placed diagonally across the back) and carry a flashlight.

Walk Our Children to School Day is supported in part by the Broome County Traffic Safety Board and Binghamton Metropolitan Transportation Study. These organizations are committed to increased pedestrian safety and making our communities more pedestrian friendly by enhancing the mobility of people and goods, to improve the safety of travel, and to have a positive impact on the quality of life in our communities.

If you have questions, or would like further information, please call Mary McFadden at the Broome County Health Department 607.778.3929.

CONTACT:
Mary McFadden Supervising Public Health Educator,
Broome County Health Department, 607.778.3929
email: mmcfadden@co.broome.ny.us

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