Reducing the Risks to Child Pedestrians

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there was a nine percent increase in pedestrian fatalities from 2015 to 2016. (1) A recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association states that “Pedestrians now account for a larger proportion of traffic fatalities than they have in the past 33 years.” (2) This webinar provided an overview of data on pedestrian-related fatalities among children and described the efforts of two organizations, the National Center for Safe Routes to School and Safe Kids Worldwide, to reduce risks to child pedestrians. Kristin Rosenthal, program manager for Road Safety at Safe Kids Worldwide, shared information on child pedestrian injury and death rates in the U.S. and findings from a study that Safe Kids conducted on pedestrian behavior. Nancy Pullen-Seufert, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School, explained why the Center launched Vision Zero for Youth, an initiative to encourage cities to prioritize safety in places where children walk and bike, and she described the increasing commitment to Vision Zero by cities and states around the U.S. She also discussed ways in which child pedestrian safety and bicyclist safety can be woven together.