no54 2005
Children's Traffic Accidents

Introduction
  The percentage of population comprising children 15 years old and younger dropped from 25% in 1980 to 15.7% in 2003, and the birth rate is expected to continue declining. It is very important to protect children
who will shoulder the future from traffic accidents.
  This ITARDA Information reports on the type of situation in which children of junior high school age and younger suffer from traffic accidents and the nature of those accidents for the purpose of helping schools
and homes educate children about road safety.

Contents
1 Situation of Children's Traffic Accidents
2 Traffic Accidents While Operating a Bicycle
3 Traffic Accidents While Walking

Conclusion
  Among the children who suffered from an accident, roughly 40% of preschool-age children and 70% of elementary school students and junior high school students were involved "while riding a bicycle" or "while walking." The main causes are as follows:
*Failure to confirm safety factors at an intersection without traffic signals.
*Crossing a road on the non-pedestrian crossing.
*Jumping out onto a road.
  In general, adults conduct themselves by making an instant judgment by grasping and analyzing the
information on the traffic environment; therefore, traffic accidents could be avoided by correct decisions and behavior. However, children have not fully developed their thinking powers and abilities to make decisions.
The younger the children are, the more they tend to focus on one thing without considering the surrounding environment.
  Adults around children must help them gain the habit of "Stop," "Look," and "Wait" and teach them how to make correct judgments and how to conduct themselves. According to the children's level of understanding, what adults need to do is to repeatedly teach safety rules at every place of danger using specific words as
well as to conduct themselves as good role models in everyday life.

Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis (ITARDA)