In Washington D.C., A 7-Year-Old Child Is Hit By A Car On Stanton Road

Yesterday, A 7-year-old child was hit by a motor vehicle after she ran onto the 2900 block of Stanton Road. According to police, the child is being treated for bruises and scrapes. This is the second child pedestrian-related accident on a D.C. street in the last few days.Just five days ago, 4-year-old girl was killed by a truck.

In 2005, According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):

· 64, 000 pedestrians were injured.
· 16,000 of those injured were 14-years-of-age or younger.
· 4881 pedestrians were killed.

· Kids who were 14 years of age and younger made up 7 % (339) of these fatalities.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) explains why child pedestrians are at high risk for sustaining injuries on the road:

· In the United States, 4,641 pedestrians died from traffic-related injuries in 2004, and another 68,000sustained nonfatal injuries (NHTSA 2005).

· Nearly one-fifth of the traffic fatalities among children ages 5-9 years were sustained by pedestrians (NHTSA 2005).

Children are at increased risk for pedestrian injuries for several reasons:

· Their smaller size makes them difficult for drivers to see, especially if they are standing between parked cars on the side of the road.
· Young children are often unable to judge distances and vehicle speeds accurately, so they can easily misjudge whether it is safe to cross a street.
· Parents can overestimate their child’s ability to cross the street. Many elementary school-age children don’t understand traffic signals or how to anticipate a driver’s actions.

· Drivers and child pedestrians each assume (incorrectly) that the other will yield the right-of-way.

The personal injury law firm of Lebowitz and Mzhen handles pedestrian accidents and accidents involving minors. If you have a child who has been injured or killed in a pedestrian-related traffic accident, please contact Lebowitz and Mzhen for a free consultation.

Child, 7, Struck By Vehicle in Southeast, wtop.com, Oct 3, 2006

Traffic Safety Facts, 2005, NHTSA (PDF)

Child Pedestrian Safety, CDC.gov

Related Web Resources:

Pedestrian Safety Tips, Safekids.org

Facts About Injuries To Child Pedestrians, (PDF)

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