by Monica K

Created on: March 02, 2007   Last Updated: April 25, 2007

Generally, one can introduce basic "street play" to a child once he/she has learned the basics of walking. The best way to do this is to first purchase a medium sized ball. Then, while sitting on the well-worn, antiquified couch on your front porch, roll the ball into the roadway. Normally, you don't even have to teach a child to chase after the ball, as natural curiosity and enthusiasm will instantly take over. However, hollering "Go on out thar and git that ball junior," as your diaper clad toddler gleefully runs after the road-bound sphere, always adds to the enjoyment!

On a serious note, unless you live on a cul-de-sac in a kid-friendly neighborhood, "playing" in the streets should never be encouraged, nonetheless allowed. Furthermore, residing in a cul-de-sac, a dead-end street, or even the "best" neighborhood, does not override the need for safety precautions. Playing can be defined as "engaging in an activity as if it were a game rather than take it seriously (http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=play)." In most cases, children are seen engaging in "playful" activity within the safe boundaries of a yard, playground, gymnasium, etc. However, on any given sunny day, you are likely to see a dozen or more children riding bicycles, motor scooters, skateboards, etc. Activities such as those requiring solid ground are often enjoyed in or near the roadways that are shared with hundreds and/or thousands of other people each day. Just as we would take certain safety precautions when operating an automobile, similar precautions should be taken when venturing into the streets. The following statistics provide some insight into the importance and serious nature of street safety:

* 784 bicyclists died on US roads in 2005. 92% of them died in crashes with motor vehicles (720). (http://www.helmets.org/stats.htm#market)

* Half of the deaths are children under 15 years old. (http://www.helmets.org/stats.htm#market)

* A study revealed that out of the bicyclist deaths from1987-2005, child bicyclists were more likely than older bicyclists to have been killed on minor roads vs. major roads. (http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts/bicycle s.html) (i.e. neighborhood streets)

* Helmet use has been estimated to reduce head injury risk by 85%. (http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts/bicycle s.html)

* There were a total of 4,881 pedestrian fatalities in 2005. 339 of these fatalities were children age 14 and younger. 48 of these children were pedestrians or pedalcyclists

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