When pedestrians between the ages of five and nine are injured, it is most often when motor vehicles have hit them as they cross the street midblock, particularly from between parked motor vehicles. Running across intersections and getting off of school buses are also common times for children to be hit by motor vehicles. In general, children are not ready to cross a street alone until age 10.  However, children vary in their developmental readiness to make decisions about where and when to walk and cross a street. Parents are often the best judges of when their child is ready to walk without an adult. When they are ready for this level of independence, children need to know how to choose where to walk as well as when, where and how to cross a street. These skills also require an understanding of how to interact with drivers.

Children need to know the following points:

• Ask a parent before walking anywhere without them.
• Use sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks or paths, walk as far from the motor vehicles as possible on the side of the street facing traffic.
• Watch for motor vehicles turning or pulling out of driveways.

Children who are old enough and have parent permission to cross the street need to know the following additional points:

• Choose the route with the fewest streets to cross. Avoid crossing busy or high-speed streets.
• Be more visible to drivers by wearing bright clothing in the daytime. When there is little or no light, such as at sunrise or sunset, wear retro-reflective gear or carry a flashlight.
• Always look for motor vehicles. Drivers are supposed to obey the rules and watch for pedestrians, but they cannot be relied on to always do so.
• Do not cross behind or within 10 feet of the front of a bus or other large motor vehicle because the driver can not see this area.
• Stop at the edges of driveways and curbs or edges of the street where no curb exists and look for motor vehicles before proceeding.
• Watch for parked motor vehicles that may be getting ready to back up or pull forward.
• Before crossing, always look for motor vehicles even after a crossing guard, parent or other adult says it is okay to cross.
• Walk, don't run, across the street.
• If crossing the street at midblock:
  • Stop at the curb and look left, right and left again for traffic.
  • Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
• If crossing between parked motor vehicles is necessary:
  • Stop at the curb and check to see if the motor vehicles are running or if anyone is in the driver seat. If there is a driver, make eye contact and be sure you are seen before stepping in front or behind the motor vehicle.
  • If safe, walk to the edge of the parked motor vehicles, and look left, right and left again before crossing. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
• If crossing the street at an intersection:
  • Obey traffic signs and signals.
  • When the signal indicates it is time to cross, check for motor vehicles. Drivers may not obey the rules and turning drivers may not look for pedestrians.
  • Look to see if motor vehicles are coming. Look left, right and left; then behind and in front for turning motor vehicles. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.