TORONTO – More than half of Canadian teenagers say they have been hit or nearly hit by a vehicle while walking, according to a new pedestrian safety poll released on Monday.
The survey conducted by Angus Reid for the non-profit injury prevention group Parachute Canada and FedEx Express Canada shows 51 per cent of teens between the ages of 13 and 18 have been hit by a car or have been involved in a near miss.
Nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of those say the driver wasn’t paying attention and a third say (30 per cent) the driver was going too fast.
However, 20 per cent of teens surveyed admitted they failed to look both ways before crossing the street and 8 per cent say distractions with their phone, music or other communication device were factors.
“These numbers remind us that we need to educate Canadians on pedestrian and driver safety, including at intersections,” said Louise Logan, Parachute’s President and CEO in a media release.
“It’s simple, make road safety part of the conversation and remember to take a moment of silence and pay attention whether on foot or in a vehicle.”
The poll results coincide with Parachute Canada’s national “Moment of Silence” campaign to encourage teens to put down their mobile devices and to pay attention when crossing the street.
Statistics show on average 30 child pedestrians are killed and 2,412 are injured every year in Canada with most incidents happening between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. when students are heading home from school.
The Angus Reid Forum online poll commissioned by Parachute Canada surveyed 510 Canadian teenagers from Nov. 6 to 11 with a margin of error of +/- 4.34 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
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