Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Archive for November, 2010

Florida drivers must be aware of children when behind the wheel of a car. It doesn’t matter if a child is walking home from school, riding a bicycle or a passenger in a car. The greatest threat children face today is motor vehicle crashes. They are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 and older.

Child pedestrians are vulnerable for several reasons: their size, judgment and distractibility. So it is up to each of us to make up for these differences.

Here are some safety tips for drivers, published by AAA:

• Slow down near schools and residential areas
• Drive with your headlights on – even during the day so kids and other drivers can see you
• Look for clues, such as playgrounds, bicycles, school that indicate children are in the area
• Look between parked cars and other objects for signs of children
• Practice extra caution in bad weather
• Always stop for school buses that are loading and unloading students

Motorists must be responsible and held responsible, for watching out for child pedestrians.