Walking to School Safely: Crosswalks and Traffic

Depending on where you live in Boston or the surrounding communities or New England states, your children may have the option of walking to school. Naturally, you must consider a range of factors before deciding to let your children walk to school rather than taking the bus or being driven. Such factors include their age, their general maturity level, and the types of roads you live near.

However, if your children are generally able to walk to school safely, you must still consider how making the right choices at crosswalks can play a significant role in your children avoiding accidents during the school year.

Crosswalk Safety Tips for Parents and Children

Identifying Crosswalks

Make sure your children understand that it is imperative (and also to some degree legally required) for pedestrians to use crosswalks to cross the street whenever possible. Help your children learn how to identify the nearest crosswalk so they always know where they can cross the street safely.

If there are intersections near your home, your children’s school, or both, where crossing guards direct traffic, consider using them if doing so is practical for your children’s trip to school.

Teach Children to Stop

Don’t let children assume that using a crosswalk automatically guarantees their safety. Some children mistakenly conclude that because a crosswalk is what the adults consider to be the safest place to cross the street, that means they can ignore basic rules like looking both ways before doing so. Ensure your children understand this is not the case.

When they arrive at a crosswalk, they must still stop at the curb and look both ways before proceeding. Depending on the laws in your area, technically pedestrians in the crosswalk have the right-of-way, meaning even if there is approaching traffic, your children should be able to proceed. However, you probably understand the reality of how some drivers ignore such laws.

Thus, don’t teach your children to assume that motorists will grant them the right-of-way when they use crosswalks. Instead, instruct your children to gauge the speed of oncoming traffic and to make eye contact with motorists to determine when crossing is safe. Just because they have the legal right to cross, it doesn’t mean it’s always safe to do so.

Emphasize the Importance of Walking

Sometimes children with the best intentions actually put themselves in greater danger when crossing the street in a crosswalk if they attempt to do so quickly. A child may think that running across the crosswalk is the best way to clear the intersection fast. The problem is running puts them at increased risk of tripping and falling.

If a child trips and falls in the crosswalk, they could sustain injuries during the fall itself or they may be more vulnerable to oncoming traffic, as they’ll be less visible and they’ll be stuck in the crosswalk for longer than they intended to be. Make sure your children understand that walking instead of running is always preferable on a crosswalk, except in genuine emergency situations when running is the only possible way to avoid danger.

Other Smart Habits

It’s also wise to share basic tips with your children that they may not consider. For example, children should keep in mind that wearing bright and reflective clothing will increase their visibility in crosswalks. Additionally, in the digital age, kids should be discouraged from using earbuds or looking at their devices when crossing crosswalks.

Again, your goal is to ensure your children understand that while using the crosswalk is technically safe and legal, crossing any street can be hazardous if mistakes are made.

When Accidents Happen

Unfortunately, your children and you can’t control the mistakes that others might make on the road. If your child has been injured while crossing a crosswalk in Boston or the surrounding areas, our team at Swartz and Swartz PC has the experience necessary to help you pursue the compensation that may be available.

Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible to receive financial compensation for your child’s medical bills and related losses. You may seek compensation by identifying the liable party and filing a claim with their insurance. If we work together, our team can handle your claim or lawsuit while you focus on tending to your child during their recovery. We’ll apply our understanding of the way insurance companies fight back against claims like yours to negotiate for a fair settlement.

Learn more by calling us at (617) 742-1900 or contacting us online today to set up your free consultation.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.