Safe Kids to Raise Awareness of Walker Safety

Safe Kids of Otsego County will join local school children and FedEx volunteers on Wednesday, Oct. 3, to raise awareness about pedestrian safety on International Walk to School Day.

More than 250,000 children across the United States will participate in the annual event to learn about walking safely and to encourage the creation of safe walking environments.

The Otsego County schools participating include Oneonta, Greater Plains & Valley View, Richfield Springs, Milford and Cooperstown.

A 15-year trend report that examined child pedestrian injuries and deaths in the U.S. revealed that while walking safety has improved overall for children since 1995, there are still a staggering number of children hit by cars.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among children ages 3-14. More than 61 children are injured severely enough every day to seek medical attention, and more than 500 children are killed every year.