Toronto, Ontario – Safe Kids Canada is reminding drivers and parents of its Walk This Way pedestrian safety program to help keep children safe as they head back to school.

The group said that child pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of death for Canadian children under the age of 14, with more than 30 killed and 2,400 seriously injured each year. Most incidents happen between 3 and 6 p.m., when drivers are coming home from work and children may be walking home from school.

“We can all help to keep kids safe while they walk in their communities,” said Pamela Fuselli, executive director of Safe Kids Canada. “When drivers slow down, and when parents take every opportunity to teach their children about pedestrian safety, these injuries can be prevented.”

Walk This Way recommends that drivers slow down; a child hit by a car travelling at 50 km/h has an 80 per cent chance of being killed, while a child hit by a car at 30 km/h has a 95 per cent chance of surviving. Parents should walk with their children and teach them the pedestrian safety rules every time: teach them to look left, look straight into the intersection, look right and repeat before crossing the street, and encourage them to cross at intersections and that parked cars can block a driver’s view.