Many parents may not be aware of it, but while protecting their kids from the much-discussed dangers such as drug abuse, drinking, bullying, and online threats, they leave their young ones vulnerable to a danger that, in some cases, can prove life-threatening. Walking down a sidewalk or crossing a street may seem like simple and harmless activities, but it has been found that an increasing number of teens are ending up getting injured, at times fatally, because of not paying attention to pedestrian safety while texting or listening to music.

The growing prevalence of teen pedestrian injuries

Safe Kids, a global non-profit organization, conducted a study on teen safety habits in streets and came up with a report that has highlighted some staggering facts about pedestrians using phones or listening to music, presenting parents around the globe with an eye-opener.

The study not only underscored the growing prevalence of teen pedestrian injuries, but went a stride further to note that older teens aging between 16 to19 accounted for half of all deaths among children 19 and under, showing a 25 percent increase over the course of past five years.

Intriguingly, 78 percent of the teens questioned by Safe Kids perceived kids of other age group to be at a greater risk of pedestrian injuries.

Reasons for rise in teen pedestrian injuries

While conducting its study on rising teen pedestrian injuries, Safe Kids discovered distraction to be one of the primary factors contributing to this undesirable trend. It was observed that one in five high school students and one in eight middle school students were distracted while crossing the street. Teens that were observed to be distracted were either texting, wearing headphones, talking on phone, or were paying more attention to a gaming device in their hands than their feet or what was ahead. Texting and music, however, were discovered to be the primary cause of distraction.

What many pedestrians fail to realize is that safe walking is a two-way street, with their role being just as important as that of people in cars. If either of the party gets distracted, it can have dire consequences. The use of cell phone while driving, coupled with a distracted pedestrian are a perfect mix for doom.

During the course of its study on teen pedestrian injuries, Safe Kids observed 34,325 students crossing the street in a school zone.

Role parents can play to make walking teens safer

The situation pertaining to children and pedestrian accidents may be growing direr, but fortunately, the parents have the power to turn the table.

One way in which parents can make a huge dent in the alarming stats is by lecturing their kids on safety and the dangers of distraction from an early age and continuing these lectures throughout the teenage years as well.

Furthermore, it is imperative to begin instilling responsible technology usage in kids from the time they are given their first digital device, so that it becomes second nature to them as they grow up. This includes encouraging them to put their devices down or taking off their headphones while crossing streets.

Another thing that parents should do is to set an example for their kids by modeling safe behavior on the sidewalk. This means they should always put their handset in their pocket or bag before crossing the street, stopping at a safe position to text or take a call, and unplugging the earphones from their ears before crossing streets. Kids are known to pick up habits from their parents.

The research by Safe Kids is indeed an eye-opener for parents who haven’t been paying enough attention to their teens’ habit of texting, taking calls, keeping their eyes on the screen of their handheld device, or listening to music while walking on sidewalk and crossing streets. The danger and consequences of distraction are potently dire, thus making it a matter of utmost importance for parents who desire their kids’ safety.