All road users should understand that children have little understanding about using the roads safely. That is why as a driver, when we see a child waiting to cross a road, we should slow down in the event that they run out in front of us.
When we talk about children, we mean those who are still at primary school or of a young age. Sometimes parents let their children walk home, especially if the school is local and not a far walk. Even if their parents pick them up they often wander off in front with friends, or lag behind. Whatever the situation, it is important that all drivers take into account the possibility of a child running out in from of them.
Children do not have the same understanding of danger as adults, and so a child may not realise the potential risk when running out in front of motor vehicles. When a child is put in a potentially dangerous road traffic situation, a lower standard of personal care is expected of them. This means that if there was a road traffic accident, children at a young age may not be found to have shown negligence in an accident where an adult may clearly have been at fault.
An example of this: a car driver waves a child pedestrian across a road in front of him, and she follows his directions. A different driver from a car in the opposite direction hits the child. The crossing was dangerous; An adult in those circumstances may have been found partly to blame for not looking the other way when waved across. If a child is so young that an understanding of safety cannot reasonably be expected, then that child will may be held to have been negligent in those circumstances.
If your child is walking near any road when either out with friends, or walking to and from school, attaching high visibility strips to their back pack or coat will help other drivers to see them more clearly.
If you have a child who has been injured in a road traffic accident, then you may be able to make a compensation claim for them. If you would like more information, or would like to speak to someone about free legal advice, we at the Injury Lawyers will be able to help.
