“Every day, more than 3,500 people are killed on the world’s roads. Young people are particularly affected as road crashes are the number one cause of death of 5 to 29-year-olds. This is an alarming trend, a plague that needs to be stopped, and a human, economic, and social cost that has become unacceptable. Everyone has a role to play in making roads safer for all.”
- www.fia.com; Health and Safety; 3500 lives; The challenge
“Making roads safer for all” – Car-friendly infrastructure is only one of the challenges pedestrians face.
The traffic environment has many rules and many more variables. It is also becoming more complex and challenging. Larger, and potentially more fatal, vehicles are driven by impatient, distracted drivers on outdated, failing infrastructure. The survival odds against pedestrians are rising, no matter their age. Pedestrians nowadays require a higher degree of vigilance and built-in skills. Even crossing a road at a crosswalk with a green pedestrian light does not ensure reaching the other side safely. Children, naturally, are more at risk.
Children learn by watching us. They observe our behavior and demeanor as we drive and walk the streets. They study and absorb our behind-the-wheel conduct. However, modeling safe traffic behavior and brief instructions given on the fly do not go far enough. Research suggests it is best to introduce ‘defensive walking’ strategies to young children. Pedestrian safety education is no different than any other subject and must be addressed continuously and systematically.
But instructions are boring, and rules are quickly rejected or forgotten.
Let It Roll introduces and strengthens elementary pedestrian safety rules. It can be part of a more comprehensive systematic approach to child pedestrian safety education. The story, and the conversations it can inspire, enables the relaying of information, safely away from the real action. Through fiction and drama, the narrative becomes relatable and highly relevant.
The instructions introduced in the book are just the beginning. Here are a few more to consider:
- Be proactive, attentive, and vigilant! Use your eyes and ears, and avoid using devices while walking in traffic.
- BE SEEN! Wear brightly-colored clothes during the day, and reflective gear at night.
Where there are no sidewalks, walk on the side of the road FACING traffic. It will ensure you see cars coming at you, and it will help drivers see you.
