Adult pedestrian behavior when accompanying children on the route to school.
OBJECTIVE
Pedestrian injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality to children, especially boys. Adults serve as pedestrian role models and provide learning opportunities for children when walking to school. The research objectives were to investigate adult pedestrian behavior when accompanying boys and girls.


METHODS
Behavioral observation of 140 adult pedestrians accompanying 4- to 9-year-old children was done in British residential locations. Observations took place at light-controlled crossings, speed-restricted school safety zones, and mid-block unmarked crossing sites. Behaviors observed included stopping at the curb, waiting at the curb, looking left and right before and during road crossing, holding hands, talking, and walking straight across.


RESULTS
In general, adults modeled safe road crossing behaviors. Adult safe behavior scores were higher when accompanying girls than when accompanying boys. No statistically significant differences were found by child age group. The fewest safe pedestrian behaviors were observed at light-controlled crossings.


CONCLUSIONS
Adult pedestrians behave differently when with boys and girls and at different types of road crossing site. Interventions aimed at reducing pedestrian injuries to children may need to take these different everyday experiences into consideration.
Pfeffer
K
K
School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK. kpfeffer@lincoln.ac.uk
Fagbemi
H P
HP
Stennet
S
S
D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D019370:Observation; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012380:Role; D012449:Safety; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control