Be mindful of kids playing

Summer is a favorite time for children to be outside, riding bikes and scooters, and enjoying a whole host of outdoor summertime activities.

But with more children on or near the roadways, the threat of motorists speeding through neighborhoods, driving distracted and ignoring traffic signals can turn a child’s carefree summer into a tragedy. When children haven’t learned safe road-use habits, the threat of injury becomes even greater.

Kids on bikes.png“Whether riding their bikes, scooters or hoverboards, enjoying a walk or other outdoor fun, summer brings more children outside,” says Rylie Mansuetti, public affairs manager, AAA Oklahoma.

“Unfortunately, with more kids in and near the roadways, there’s a greater likelihood of children suffering traffic-related injuries and deaths. Behaviors of both motorists and children can be a recipe for tragedy when safety takes a backseat.”

Statistics show that traffic-related child fatalities peak during the summer months. In the 10-year period from 2012 to 2021, there were a total of 3,334 traffic-related fatalities of children aged 14 and younger nationwide during the months of June, July and August. Fatalities during those three months accounted for 29.4% of all traffic-related child fatalities for the year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). While the majority of victims were vehicle occupants, over 16% of child fatalities were pedestrians and nearly 6% were riding bicycles or other pedal-powered transport.

In that same 10-year period, there were 66 traffic-related fatalities of children aged 14 and under in Oklahoma during the months of June, July and August, accounting for over 3% of all traffic-related fatalities during those months, according to NHTSA.