Unfortunately, the images in the header for this blog post are all too common. It used to be that walking safety was an issue just for high school students, but it is now a major safety issue for elementary and middle school students as cell phones are more and more accessible at a younger age. People (children and adults) who walk while using a cell phone -whether listening to music, talking, or texting - are commonly referred to as “zombies”. According to statistics from the organization Safe Kids Worldwide, nearly 60 children are hit by cars in the United States each day. Those statistics do not include other injuries that children can suffer by being distracted, such as bumping into objects and falling. What can we as parents do to keep our children safe and not distracted as they walk?
Some things that Safe Kids did one summer to bring about awareness of the problem were: put up lawn signs around a school; and spray-painted safety signs on the sidewalks close to crosswalks. These are not expensive actions and can be quickly done. It also created an action tool kit and an Action Against Distraction Plan which are accessible at the link below. The plan includes strategies to raise community awareness as well as tips for parents and children. There are even printable signs that say “Heads Up, Phones Down”.
Of course, other actions can be passing legislation. For example, Honolulu, Hawaii adopted a law that makes it illegal to enter a crosswalk while using a cell phone.
To learn more, please visit:
https://www.safekids.org/blog/heads-phones-down-paying-attention-distracted-walking
https://www.safesearchkids.com/the-dangers-of-texting-and-walking/