Make sure children are safe on street

Donya Betancourt, Pediatrician, drdonya@hotmail.com

It is vital that parents teach their children street safety rules as soon as possible, so children know what to do and how to behave in order to stay safe.

Nearly one-third of children between the ages of five and nine who are killed by motor vehicles are on foot. They are hit by cars most often when playing near home. Parents and caregivers MUST watch toddlers and preschoolers closely when they are near parked or moving vehicles. You must be near your child, NOT watching from a distance. And always hold your child's hand when you walk together along the street.

Parents should begin to teach their children road safety such as how to cross the street as soon as they are walking, and give them plenty of chances to practice when you are with them.

Young children learn by watching adults so show them safe ways to cross streets. When you are walking talk to your child about street safety. Show him or her how to stop at the edge of the street and look for cars or other objects that block the view of traffic, and do not expect your young child to do this by himself or herself.

Young children still need supervision around traffic up to at least the age of 10. If possible you should cross at intersections with signals and make eye contact with drivers to make sure they see you.

Bicycles are vehicles and riding a tricycle or bike is almost an essential part of growing up. But children should not ride bikes in the road until they fully understand traffic rules and show they can follow them.

Falls from tricycle or other play vehicles can cause serious head and brain injuries. These injuries to young children can be as serious as injuries to older children falling from bikes.

You can make your child's first cycling experiences fun and safe by taking a few precautions. A brain injury cannot be cured. Wearing a proper helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent when worn correctly. Make it clear to your child that he or she must wear a helmet on every ride. It is helpful if your child can choose his/her own helmet and if you talk to other families in your neighborhood to encourage the same safety rules.

Keep the suggestions below in mind as you and your child begin bicycling together: * Buy a tricycle only when your child is physically able to handle it. Most children are ready around age three. * Buy a tricycle that is built low to the ground and has big wheels. This type is safer because it is less likely to tip over. * Use the tricycle only in protected places. Don't allow your child to ride near automobiles or near swimming pools. * Protect your child from injury by making sure she is wearing an approved bicycle helmet. * Be sure your child has the balance and muscle coordination necessary before removing training wheels. In general, children don't have the coordination to ride a two-wheel bicycle until around age seven. * Prevent or minimize head injury to a young passenger by ensuring a lightweight infant bike helmet is always worn.

Wearing the helmet properly, flat atop your head, is important. Do not wear the helmet tilted back at an angle. Make sure the helmet fits snugly and does not obstruct your field of vision. Always wear the helmet with the chin strap firmly buckled. Make sure the chin strap fits securely and that the buckle stays fastened to provide impact protection. No combination of twisting or pulling should remove the helmet from the head or loosen the buckle on the strap.

Do not use a helmet after it has been involved in an accident. Damage to the helmet may not be visible to an untrained eye. Even very small cracks in the helmet may greatly reduce a helmet's effectiveness in preventing injury. Either destroy the helmet and get a new one or have it inspected by the manufacturer.

As I always say, prevention is better than treatment.