Street Crossing Safety

Practicing street crossing safety guidelines can prevent accidents.

According to the Center for Problem-Oriented Policing, a pedestrian is injured every eight minutes in a traffic collision. By practicing street crossing safety guidelines, you can prevent this from happening to you. Children should be taught street crossing safety as soon as possible.

Groups

Crossing the street in groups can be a safe way to cross because a driver is more likely to see a large group, rather than a single person.

Street Signals

Always follow traffic signals. If the signal has a hand up, or says "Do Not Walk," then you should not cross the street until the signal changes.

Crosswalks

Use a crosswalk when crossing the street. These are often displayed as stripes on the ground at street corners. Drivers proceed more cautiously at crosswalks.

Look Both Ways

Before crossing the street, look left, right and left again before proceeding. Continue to look while crossing the street.

Reflections

Wear bright, or reflective, clothing when walking at night. You may also carry a flashlight.

Supervision

Children tend to play, talk and not pay attention to cars while crossing the street. Therefore, adults should always supervise them.

References

• Pedestrian Injuries and Fatalities
• Pedestrian and Crossing Safety
• Crossing the Street Safely

Resources

• Street Safety Activity Page for Kids