Parachute Safe Kids Week is an annual awareness campaign designed to bring attention to predictable and preventable injuries in children. This year the focus is on lowering speeds on the roads travelled by children. As noted by Parachute, children are twice as likely to be struck by a vehicle in areas with speed limits higher than 50 km/h, compared to under 50 km/h.
Safe Kids Week
Why focus on speed?
In Alberta, there are an average of 4,976 emergency department visits and 182 hospital admissions each year among children and youth (0 - 14 years) that are related to road safety. These injuries were due to incidents involving bicycles, walking and riding in motor vehicles. Traffic-related injuries such as concussions, other traumatic brain injuries, abrasions, bruises, cuts and lacerations, and fractures to both the arms and legs can be serious and life altering. In some instances, traffic-related injuries can be fatal.
To safeguard children and all road users - whether they are commuting, attending appointments, shopping, playing, or exercising - parents, caregivers, schools, and local governments can implement various protective measures. The Injury Prevention Centre, alongside community partners, has gathered resources designed to:
Community engagement activities.
- Injury Prevention Centre’s Safe Kids Week Toolkit - provides information on creating community pledges, community research activities, and a walk and wheel safety walk.
- Parachute’s Snap for Change - people can document problems, suggest solutions and share this information with local influencers. By sharing this information with Parachute, you could be eligible for a $100 gift card (first 50 entries).
Speed reduction resources.
- Driving speed reduction - Parachute
- Provides an overview of effective strategies to reduce speeds
- Parachute Video resources
- Why 30? Poster - City of Edmonton
- Habits Behind Speeding - Alberta Motor Association
Supporting safer streets.
- Traffic calming measures - ITE-A Community of Transportation Professionals
- Vision Zero - Parachute
- Provides information on Vision Zero, a comprehensive road system approach based on the belief that no one should be killed or seriously injured in the road transport system. This primer provides a brief overview of Vision Zero.
- Becoming a Vision Zero community
- Posters featuring design strategies to increase safety for road users
- City of Edmonton Street Labs
- Communities work with the city to bring traffic safety improvements to their neighbourhoods using traffic calming measures. (Scroll down the page to see examples of different traffic calming measures.)
Safe and active transportation.
- Brainsavers Program - Grande Prairie and Area Safe Communities has developed resources to encourage all ages helmet use including a video.
Have questions?
Contact us for more information about Safe Kids Week.
Use these hashtags on social media to discuss Safe Kids Week.
#SafeSpeedsForKids
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