JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Students at Andrew Robinson Elementary School participated in National Walk to School Day, an event that encourages students and community members to travel to school by walking, biking, scootering, or using wheelchairs to promote physical health, reduce traffic congestion and improve neighborhood safety.
Because of rain, the event was moved indoors Wednesday, with students walking through the school’s hallways instead of along nearby streets.
Students moved from the hallways to the school’s outdoor courtyard, sharing pedestrian safety tips with us.
“I make sure to look every way, even backwards, at intersections, even if it’s not at the corner of the block,” said fourth-grader Timothy Hall.
Third-grader Aubrey said visibility is important when walking near traffic. “When it’s dark, wear light colors so drivers can see you,” Aubrey said.
The walk was part of a school safety initiative led by Safe Kids Northeast Florida and Wolfson Children’s Hospital, organizations that regularly work with children injured in pedestrian accidents.
“We see kids coming to our hospital that have been injured as they’re out playing in their neighborhood, walking to school,” said Jessica Winberry, injury prevention coordinator for Safe Kids Northeast Florida. “We’re really trying to increase their understanding of how to be safe as a pedestrian.”
School and safety leaders say distractions continue to be a major factor in pedestrian injuries.
“Yes, bikes and scooters are a huge reason, but distractions are probably number one,” said Dr. Heather Albritton, Duval County Public Schools director of health education and physical education. “Making sure you stay off your phone, you have your earbuds out, paying attention as cars are coming and going, and you’re aware of your surroundings.”
Duval County has one of the worst pedestrian fatality rates in the nation. While the program was geared toward elementary school students, Albritton said older students have increasingly been involved in pedestrian-related incidents.
“You would think that elementary is the most vulnerable age, but really statistics show lately that we’ve had more middle and high school students injured,” Albritton said. “This is the age that we can catch them and teach them all of the cognitive things that they need to remember.”
Organizers said the biggest message of the day was simple: Drivers must remember to stop for pedestrians.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
