Why do children make up such a disproportionately large percentage of the number of pedestrians injured and killed each year? Because they haven't yet developed the cognitive and sensory awareness to fully understand everything that's happening on the road around them. Unfortunately, we parents can have an over-inflated sense of our children's level of road awareness. Because we know they're clever and responsible we assume they're out there playing safely.But it only takes a single moment of forgetfullness and tragedy can occur in the blink of an eye.
Contrary to what you might think, children are most at danger in urban environments, not only in rural areas where there are fewer streetlights. In fact, traffic collision statistics clearly show that most injuries a higher percentage of pedestrian injuries and fatalities occur on well-lit city streets.
Just because there are street lights, that doesn't mean drivers can see your children. Weather conditions such as fog and rain can drastically reduce their visibility. And slick roads make it harder for drivers to stop their vehicles quickly, increasing the distance they need to avoid hitting a pedestrian by two to four times.
According to the US National Safety Council, the chances of being struck and killed as a pedestrian increase by 1100% after dark. That's because it's harder for drivers to see what's on the road around them at night. In fact, eight out of 10 drivers who strike pedestrians at night say that they "didn't see them."
In Indiana alone, 90% of motorists who hit people at night are not ticketed for any traffic violations-because it wasn't their fault the accident occurred. In Finland, it is required by law that as a pedestrian you must wear a certified safety reflector.
Maybe you think your children aren't at risk of being struck by a vehicle because they're too young to go out on their own at night.
... But what about other conditions of reduced visibility?
Do they ever walk outside in the rain?
Do they walk to and from a school bus when it's foggy, or snowing?
Are they ever outside in the "danger times" of dusk and dawn?If you answered yes to any of these questions then your children are at increased risk of being struck by a driver who simply didn't see them.
The best way to reduce your children's chances of being injured or killed by a vehicle is to get them to wear a personal safety reflector on their packs and/or clothing.
The reflector doesn't have to be anything big or fancy... just a simple 2-inch reflector dangling from their pocket zippers or their backpacks is more than enough to alert drivers to their presence. Zipper pulls at the front of their jacket are not effective as they can't dangle and only sit flat.
In fact, studies by the US Federal Highway Administration have proven that a certified safety reflector can increase a pedestrian's ability by 500%, and can reduce a pedestrian's chances of being struck by a car by 800%.
With numbers like that, a simple $5 reflector can be the best possible life insurance you could ever buy for your child. It's not just child pedestrians who are at risk in conditions of reduced visibility. Kids on bikes are also more likely to be hit by a car at night, especially by cars coming at them from the side, when the lights on the front and back of a bike aren't easily seen. A reflector hanging out of their pockets will increase your junior cyclists' visibility and significantly reduce the risk.
As a parent, you may be startled to discover that the United States and Canada have no official safety standards regulating the effectiveness of pedestrian reflectors.
That means that many of the reflectors being handed in North America don't help increase visibility much at all.
Here at C-Me Pedestrian Reflectors, all of our safety reflectors meet and far exceed the strictest European requirements. In order to be CE-certified and EN13356 rated, a pedestrian safety reflector must demonstrate a minimum reflectivity of 400 C.I.L. (coefficient of luminous intensity), and have sufficiently large surface area.
Here's how some of our items compare with the minimum European requirements:
... Now look at how some of our competitors' items compare:
Their overall size is too small (not enough reflective area), and they range from 61 to only 274 C.I.L.!
... Clearly, when it comes to ensuring your child's safety, C-Me products come out the clear winner.
The great thing about our reflectors is that your kids will love them as much as you do.
Our reflectors come in all kinds of cool, fun designs and colours that will appeal to kids of all ages. Plus, with their intense reflectivity-which bends light three times inside the reflector before shooting it back at the source with a penetrating glare-your kids are going to love playing with them.