A new national study showed that 40 percent of teen pedestrians report being hit or almost hit by vehicles on the road. The study was released by Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations devoted to preventing childhood injury.
According to Andrea Wojcik, a spokesperson for Safe Kids Delaware, most teen pedestrian deaths take place during the night. Running in the street or walking across the middle of the block can also increase chances of being hit. But half of the teenagers in the report said they looked at a mobile device while crossing the road.
"The primary causes of teen deaths and injuries as pedestrians primarily it’s distracted while walking by a mobile device either cell phone or listening to music," said Wojcik. "“Now we have to think about the dangers of distracted walking: texting and walking, listening to music on your mp3, things like that as you cross the street. These are issues that we’ve never had to deal with before.”
According to the research, three times as many teenagers are hit or injured on the road than children ages 12 and under. Delaware’s figures reflect this national trend. Seven teenagers between the ages 15 to 19 were killed in pedestrian crashes in the last 3 years, compared to two deaths of children between ages 5 to 9.
Wojcik says that Safe Kids Delaware will use the results from the study to work with partners, such as the Delaware State Police, to prevent future accidents. The organization has also planned a number of events at schools this month to raise awareness of road safety.
