Today is walk to school day

In honor of International Walk Your Child To School Day today, Care Flight would like to remind people about the growing concern of pedestrian safety. Walking is great exercise and you can go almost anywhere on your own two feet. However, walking can also be dangerous.

Children ages 5-9 are at the greatest risk of traffic-related pedestrian death and injury. In many instances, parents may overestimate their children's pedestrian skills. Most children are struck in streets or driveways near their homes when they dart out between parked cars, walk along the edge of the road, or cross in the middle of the block or in front of a turning car.

From January through June 30, 2007, Carson City had five pedestrian accidents and two accidents involving bicycles, according to the Nevada Accident Repository.

For 2006, there were five pedestrian accidents and 10 involving bicycles. Two pedestrian fatalities were reported in 2006, none have been reported so far in 2007.

No bicycle fatalities were reported in 2006 or so far in 2007.

Nationally, approximately 800 children are killed as pedestrians every year. Additionally, hundreds of thousands are severely injured.

Safety tips for walkers

Always walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk in the road, always walk facing traffic, so you can see any car that might go out of control.

Dress to be seen. Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see you during the daytime. At night, you need to wear special reflective material on your shoes, cap or jacket to reflect the headlights of cars coming toward you.

Tips for street-Crossing

Cross only at corners or marked crosswalks.

Stop at the curb, or the edge of the road.

Stop and look left, then right, then left again, before you step into the street.

If you see a car, wait until it goes by. Then look left, right and left again until no cars are coming.

If a car is parked where you are crossing, make sure there is no driver in the car. Then go to the edge of the car and look left-right-left until no cars are coming. Keep looking for cars while you are crossing, and remember, walk. Don't run.