President's Message


Tony DeNovellis
President and CEO

School’s in. Drive carefully!

Kids going to and from school test drivers’ patience. They run in front of cars, dash from crosswalks into the road and pedal their bikes straight through red lights. At those times, it’s good for drivers to remember that while this behavior would be inexcusable from an adult, kids act in these ways for a reason: they’re kids.

Young children are still developing the mental and physical skills needed to handle traffic situations. For example, because kids can’t judge a car’s distance and speed correctly, they’ll often let slow-moving cars pass, then try to cross in front of fast-moving ones. Because their peripheral vision is one-third narrower than an adult’s, children often miss seeing cars to their right or left. They may not be tall enough to see over the hood of a parked car. And because they tend to focus only on what interests them, distracted youngsters can accidentally wander into traffic.

In the United States, more children die as a result of motor vehicle accidents than from any disease. Almost a quarter of those child fatalities are pedestrians.

To try to offset these disadvantages, smart parents encourage their children to stop, look and listen. They participate in programs such as Safe Routes to School (www.saferoutesinfo.org). They accompany young children to and from school until they know their child has the necessary skills to walk or bike safely there without adult guidance.

But drivers also can help, by paying attention to the children who share the roadways. Colorado has more than 375,000 schoolkids in kindergarten to fifth grade. To increase their safety and to avoid the grief of hurting a child, remember these tips:

  • Children and adults perceive traffic differently. Accept children’s limitations and be ready to react.
  • Make eye contact with kids who are about to walk or bicycle across the street. Anticipate their next moves and make them aware of yours.
  • Drive slowly near playgrounds and in residential neighborhoods. Scan both sides of the street; notice where children could run out from behind parked cars or other obstructions.
  • Kids often travel in packs. When you see one child, check for others.

If you have young children or grandchildren, don’t forget to be a positive role model. Your actions, both as a pedestrian and driver, often speak louder than words to an impressionable child. Remember that children will imitate both safe and unsafe behavior. If a youngster in your family decides to follow your example, will it save their life—or could it lead to a tragedy?

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