On behalf of Ludwar Law Firm posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, June 18, 2015.
When it comes to the safety of your children, keeping them out of harm's way while they are walking around town is essential. Regardless if your child is walking to the park, a friend's house or school, the following easy-to-follow tips save him or her from getting involved in a car versus pedestrian accident. It is important to always talk to children about different strategies for staying safe while walking. For example, make sure to tell your children to walk on the sidewalk wherever and whenever possible. Also, tell them to always cross the street at corners, and to use crosswalks and traffic signals. As early as possible, teach your children to stop using their cellphones before they cross the road. Also, remind them to first look left, then look right and look left again before crossing the road. Children under the age of 10 should not try to cross the road without being accompanied by an adult. Although you may be confident in the maturity and responsibility of your child, it may be that he or she is still too young, developmentally, to appropriately judge the distance and speed of cars for the purpose of safely crossing the street. Tell your children how important it is to establish eye contact with people in cars before they decide to cross the street. Also, have your children keep a lookout for cars that are backing up or turning. These drivers are the most dangerous for pedestrians because they are not always able to see what is around the corner or what is behind them -- particularly if your child is small. Unfortunately, even by following this advice, no Canada child will be completely immune from being involved in a car crash. In the event that a child pedestrian accident does occur and your child is injured, the law may provide an avenue for seeking civil remedies in court. Source: Ludwar Law Firm, "Pedestrian safety," accessed June 19, 2015