Although many children are familiar with the old adage about looking both ways before you cross the street, there are other behaviors that can increase the chances of a child being hit by a car. Traffic accidents are some of the most common sources of fatalities and injuries for children on foot around the world. Individuals who have been injured in these types of pedestrian accidents may have pain and damage that continues for years to come.

The new study explored hazard perception differences between various child pedestrians and compared that with the experiences of adults. Child pedestrians between the ages of 7 and 10 had the most challenges in determining when it was safe to cross the road and when it wasn’t as well as recognizing hazards that may have been presented by curbs in the road or parked vehicles.

Older children, however, did not perform much better and tended to spend more time on the curb next to the street. This means that they had more challenges in being able to tell when it was safe or not to cross. If your child has been injured in a pedestrian accident in San Diego, you should speak to your doctors about the long-term implications of such an accident. Sadly, many individuals who suffer in these kinds of incidents may have ramifications in the form of serious injuries for years to come.