Reflective clothing ensure children safety on the roads

children reflective clothing

Each year, 186,300 children die in traffic accidents in the world, or more than 500 children per day. In fact, road traffic injuries are among the top four causes of death for all children over five years. The reflective clothing which can enhance their visibility becomes critical to their road safety. Where children are more likely to be killed or injured in a traffic accident are?

While the problem of road safety is global, the more likely to die in a traffic accident are children living in low- and middle-income countries, where 95% of deaths of children are recorded traffic accidents. The rates vary from one region to another. Even within countries, children of the poor are most at risk.

What are the factors related to sex and age that determine the risk of a child suffering a traffic accident?

Children of all ages are at risk of a traffic accident. Worldwide, deaths of children by accident represent almost double the deaths of girls for the same cause. It is believed that the greatest risk to children because they are more exposed to traffic and tends to take greater risks than girls, especially when they are teenagers.

Why children are so vulnerable to traffic accidents?

Young children are limited by their physical, cognitive and social development, and therefore are more vulnerable to traffic accidents than adults. Due to its small estaturapuede it is difficult for them to see the traffic around you and for drivers and others see the children. Also, if you suffer a traffic accident, their heads softer makes them more susceptible to serious head injuries than adults. Younger children may have difficulty interpreting the different sights and sounds, which might influence their judgment of the proximity, speed and direction of moving vehicles. And they don’t want to wear reflective backpack or any other equipment with reflective tape. Also, these children are often impulsive, and their limited ability to concentrate is a challenge to pay attention to more than one problem at a time. As they get older and reach adolescence become especially prone to take risks that endanger their safety on the roads. What means of transport expose children to greater risks of accident?

It might surprise the fact that each year, 38% of children injured or killed on roads around the world are pedestrians. In low- and middle-income countries, where most of these accidents occur, children walking on roads where circulate different means of transport (some at high speed) and where there are not elements of infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and guardrails. Children traveling in vehicles represent another 36% of deaths. Most of these children are from high-income countries. They are not using a protection device like reflective clothing and exposed to an increased risk, both front and rear seat of a vehicle.

Roads safer for everyone will be safer roads for children. The Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 highlights the aspects necessary to improve road safety for everyone, including reflective helmet, safety vest etc. Governments should legislate with regard to key risks such as speed, driving and alcohol, reflective helmets, seat belts and protective devices, and application of existing laws; road construction and the obligation of manufacturers to produce vehicles with appropriate security elements; and establishing systems that provide care to the wounded quick emergency. Other measures focused especially in children may help protect them better while traveling by road. The 10 strategies described below are the best known, particularly when applied as a set of measures to ensure the safety of children on the roads.

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