%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