Injury prevention professionals have suggested that committed parents may be quite effective in championing injury prevention programs. This study seeks to determine parents' support for child pedestrian safety measures, their views on how to affect child pedestrian safety improvements in their communities and their willingness to pay in terms of volunteer time and money for efforts to make child pedestrian safety improvements in their neighborhood. A focus group of parents and caregivers was conducted in four urban public elementary schools. Using data gathered at the focus groups, a 50-item written survey was developed and distributed to parents and caregivers with children at the schools. Findings show that parents and caregivers are aware of a full range of prevention measures for the child pedestrian injury problem, but are especially supportive of speed bumps, safety education for parents, and better traffic enforcement. However, respondents were uncertain about what kind of strategies would work well to get changes made in their communities to protect child pedestrians. The results also show that parents and caregivers are willing to get involved in trying to get changes made, but may need more education and information about the efficacy of environmental solutions to child pedestrian injury.
Abstract