It is a lesson from the OpinionWay study for Dekra ("Children and Road Traffic"), published on Friday, that may surprise: the inattention of pedestrians under 13 years is the first cause of their mortality. It's no wonder, then, that parents are worried when their children have to cross the street in the morning, afternoon or evening, to get to or from school. No less than 103 children were killed on the roads of France, in 2017, by car and on foot.
"Mom shouts because we do anything, when I run, I'm a bit in the moon," says a child interviewed by Europe 1. "They are paying attention to a pebble on the ground, but they are not going "stop spontaneously with the sound of a fire truck that comes in. They play, they talk, they trot ... They do not listen at all," laments a mother.
Before 8 years old, the child is deaf
Another 7-year-old boy confesses: "I do not hear cars." He is right. According to the study mentioned above, children do not use their senses when they are on the street. "Until the age of 8, he does not use his ears at all, he is mainly focused on his friends and games," says Karine Bonnet, Dekra Automotiv. "Until the age of 9, he mainly relies on the vehicle to make a decision: if he sees the vehicle, he believes he is also seen by the vehicle while there are blind spots and that the size of a child does not allow to be seen in any situation. "
Between the ages of 6 and 12, the child gradually becomes aware of sharing the road with cars, bicycles, motorcycles ... It is only at age 15 that their perception is close to that of adults. Parents to be vigilant for them and to teach them good behavior.
Good gestures to adopt also by car
The death toll of 103 children killed on the roads of France in 2017 (593 deaths in Europe) includes pedestrian victims, but also transients by car, for almost half of them. The misuse of a baby seat is very often involved, with an improperly secured seat, or a poorly strapped child.
Recall several rules to respect, among which the obligation to place the seat back to the road for a child under 13 kg, before moving to a bucket seat for children up to 18 kg, then the booster up to 36 kg. Then, from 10 years and a minimum height of 1m50, the child can climb to the front.