Pedestrian-related crashes cause an estimated 1.2 million deaths and 50 million injuries worldwide. There were 32,590 nonfatal injuries reported among children 0 to 14 years of age in the United States in 2006. The incidence of pedestrian injuries seems to be decreasing due to improvements in trauma care and a nationwide decline in walking. This article is a special communication and overview of selected literature regarding efforts to decrease the frequency of pediatric pedestrian trauma. WalkSafe an elementary school-based pedestrian injury prevention program will be discussed as an example of a program that has been able to demonstrate a decrease in injuries in children.

The 3-day WalkSafe educational curriculum implemented in a high-risk district was shown to increase the pedestrian safety knowledge of elementary school age children. From recommendations made by teachers and multiple agencies, the modified 3-day program was approved to implement on a yearly basis in all public elementary schools in Miami-Dade County. Further studies will investigate the transfer of knowledge gain to behavioral change among elementary school-aged children.