South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
A child was injured after he was hit by a van near the intersection of Boynton Beach Boulevard and Winchester Park Boulevard, reports The Palm Beach Post.
The 10-year-old was riding his bicycle when the crash happened. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue reports that the child was taken to a local hospital for observation.
Our Boynton Beach injury lawyers understand the risks children face for traffic accidents when traveling along our roadways. They’re not always able to comprehend the workings of motor vehicle traffic. It’s important that we talk with our kids about these dangers. Our young ones are walking to and from the bus stop and to school and they’re also playing outside after school. Let’s equip them with safe traveling habits now so they can safely travel outside for a lifetime. That’s why officials with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are bringing back Chuggington, the animated series helping to teach kids safe walking and bicycling habits.
The NHTSA reports that there were close to 3,000 school-aged kids who were killed in traffic-related accidents in 2010. A majority of these fatalities happened during the afternoon hours, or between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., as kids are out of school and are heading home.
This year’s campaign, “Think Safe. Ride Safe. Be Safe!” is working to make sure that kids follow a few safety tips when getting to and from school and when playing outside once school it out. Please review the following safety tips and share them with the young traveler in your family.
Walking:
-Always walk on the sidewalk if there’s once available.
-When there’s no sidewalk, make sure that you walk as far off the road as possible and walk facing on-coming traffic.
-Don’t shove or push others near the road. No horseplay!
-Look left, right and left again before crossing the road.
-Never allow children under the age of 10-years-old to walk near traffic alone.
-Never allow children of any age to walk alone. Make sure that they’re walking with a friend or with a group of kids.
-Always use a crosswalk.
Bicycle:
-Always wear a helmet and make sure the chin strap is buckled.
-Always ride on a bike path or on a sidewalk. Never ride in the street.
-Never ride next to your buddies. Always ride in a single file line.
-When you have to cross a street, get off of your bike and walk it across.
-Never ride during evening or early-morning hours.
-Make sure bicycle are equipped with lights and reflectors.
-Make sure you wear light clothing to make yourself more visible to motorists.
Chuggington is also asking kids to take the pledge to put safety first. Kids are asked to always buckle up, to always wear a helmet on a bicycle and to only cross the street with an adult.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact the personal injury attorneys at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-561-7777.
More Blog Entries:
Broward Traffic Safety: Parents Guilty When Children Not Buckled In!, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, August 26, 2012
Child Injury in St. Lucie: Check Defective Product Recalls, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, July 27, 2012