0 to 4-year-olds: first steps to safety

Children in this age group have a low risk compared with older age groups, but even so, nearly 400 a year are killed or seriously injured on the roads.

• Boys are most at risk: twice as many boys as girls are killed or seriously injured as pedestrians or on a bike; the number of casualties as car passengers is the same for both.
• Virtually all the pedestrian accidents are on urban roads – less than 1 per cent happen on rural roads.
• Most serious injuries are from accidents on pavements and roads.
• Most serious injuries in cars are the result of children not being in an infant carrier or child seat, or because these are not fitted properly.

Which journeys carry most risk?

Children in this age group are not competent to travel on their own.

• A third of their journeys are on foot or in a pushchair/buggy, but two-thirds of those killed or seriously injured are pedestrians.
• A third of serious injuries to children aged 0-4 occur when they are in a car; this is significantly more than for the next age group, suggesting that some parents don’t use an infant carrier/child seat, or are not yet experienced enough to fit it properly.
• Riding a bicycle or tricycle carries some risk of being hurt, but the number of children seriously injured is very small.

When do accidents happen?

The pattern of risk changes between schooldays, holidays and weekends.

• During the week, the peak time for casualties is between 3-4pm, when parents collect young children from childminders or nursery school, and older siblings from school.
• During weekdays, most casualties in the 0-4 year age group are car passengers, though between 3-4pm, more are pedestrians.
• At weekends, most casualties occur between 11am and 7pm, with most in the early afternoon; there are equal numbers of pedestrian and car passenger casualties.
• In the summer months, particularly July and August, when more children are outdoors, casualties are highest
  between 3-8pm.
  

How can you help?

Start to teach your children the rules of the road and explain why they are important.

Walking safely

• Teach by example: always stop at the kerb, always use a pedestrian crossing if there is one, and always wait for the Green Man, even when the road is clear.
• Talk to your children about roads and traffic and explain to them why roads are for vehicles and pavements
  are for people.
• Don’t let them run on ahead of you: always use reins or hold their hand.
• Don’t let them play in the street.
  

Riding safely

• Teach by example: always wear a cycle helmet and reflective clothes if you cycle, and make sure your
  children do as well.
• Go for rides with them, but only on safe cycle ways, and demonstrate safe and considerate cycling.
• Never let them cycle on a road.
  

Motoring safely

• Teach by example: always use a seat belt, keep to the speed limit and don’t drink and drive.
• Know and use the correct restraint for the ages of your children. New laws about child restraints have been introduced and it is vital that car seats are properly attached -- many injuries are caused by seats coming loose in an accident. Check details of child restraints on the Department for Transport website.
  www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk/campaigns/childcarseats/pdf/law-leaflet.pdf
• Insist that your children always belt-up, no matter whose car they are in (about 3 per cent of children aged 0-4 travel unrestrained on the back seat).
• Never use a rear facing infant carrier on the front passenger seat in a car with an activated air bag – in a crash the air bag will explode and the child will almost certainly be killed by it.