%5 aimust time for stepped-up road blocks. Bicyclers have to practice safe driving habits too. Many children die in car accidents Eight Hundred and four children under the age of four were killed in Canada during the ten year period 1965-1975, and another 36,714 were in- jured while they were passengers in automibiles. Other statistics at the Canada Safety. Council show in one recent year, 6,061 people of alk ages dies as a result of traffic accidents, and 220,941 others were injured. The Council estimates that about seven per cent of all those, or 424 and 15,466 respectively, were under the age of 15. . These accidents were unexpected. Most ac- cidents are — atl least by those involved in them even though sometimes other can anticipate. them. They were wnin- tended, and “caused” by drivers no less concerned for safety and well-being of children thatn other accident free drivers. Every time a driver set out with a: young passenger, that driver is responsible for the child. Accepting : that respon- sibility as an adult means making sure the child is safely buckled in an approved child restraint system. If not buckled in, e child becomes a smail human projectile when the unexpected crash occurs. Notwithstanding laws in some provinces, some adults claim the right to chodse whether or nto to wear safety equipment — often without questioning the viaue. Nelther those nor any other adult has the right to make that same choice on behalf of a@ young child. One Safe Driving Week tip from the Canada Safety Council: Children should always ride in the rear seat of a vehicle. afe driving week kicks off in Terrace Pedestrian focus of this year’s campaign it may seem strange to focus attention of ‘pedestrians’ in Safe Driving Week. Strange, that is, until it is realized that collisions involving vehicles and pedestrians result in the third larges group of Canadian traffic fatalities. But that’s not the whole probiem. Using the latest figures available, more than 64 per cent of all Canadian pedestrian fatalities are people either under the age of 15, or over the age of 55. In other word, people least able to watch out for themselves, ‘ People who lack traffic experience, who may be wrapped up in = an imaginary game, or whose eyesight may be fading and whose reactions may be slowing down. It is simplistic to simply tell drivers to take extra care around pedestrians, but on a more positive note drivers can be advised to pay special attention when they see either children or the elderly at the side of the road, and to expect just about anything! Most frequently, regardless of age, pedestrian fatalitie result more from pedestrian errors than from driver negligence. The Canada Safety Council has no panacea for pedestrian accidents, but reiterates time honoured maxisms: ONever emerge into traffic from between parked cars oCross) only at _ in- tersections or controlled crossing areas olf using a crossing, give on-coming drivers a chance to stop oWalk facing traffic when there are no sidewalks oAt night, wear something white — or better still — reflective oUse common sense. In pedestrian-vehicle ac- cidents, the pedestrian always comes off worst. THE HERALD, Thursday, December 1, 1977, PAGE 3 ee ei ‘eine en ’ ee AEE oat ge end