Safety first
Safe Kids Bucks County, St. Mary Medical Center and local police helped Walter Miller Elementary students walk to school
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
In 2015, more than 21 percent of children 14 and younger killed in traffic crashes were pedestrians, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Every day, more than 40 children are hit by a car in the United States, which is more than 15,000 every year. Too often, these tragedies happen while a child is attempting to cross a busy intersection on their way to school. To raise awareness and educate local families, St. Mary Medical Center partnered with Safe Kids Bucks County, local law enforcement and Walter Miller Elementary School for a special event on Oct. 4., National Walk to School Day.
The morning started like any other Wednesday, but upon entering the main hallway of the Levittown school, there was an evident buzz in the air. At 8 a.m., a mid-sized group of volunteer teachers, Middletown Township police officers, AAA representatives and Kim Everett, St. Mary’s prevention coordinator, gathered by the front entrance. Soon, they would be dispersing to three corners in the neighborhood to safely walk Walter Miller students to school.
According to Everett, there are many factors to take into consideration when discussing pedestrian safety. A child could do everything right by looking both ways and waiting for the green light. But when dozens of school buses and parents dropping their children off by car are simultaneously on the road, extra precautions should be taken.
While the school doesn’t want kids to be afraid, it wants them to stay safe. That’s why the goal of the day was to promote awareness. Everett led the first team of volunteers in a brisk walk through the quiet neighborhood. After about five minutes, they reached a small group of students and parents, eagerly awaiting their walk to school.
Holding a large “Safe Kids” banner, the children led the way. As they walked, Everett pointed out potential hazards they should watch out for, such as tree roots, uneven pavements and stop signs. Though they were naturally distracted by the passing Halloween decorations, Everett always brought their focus back to the task at hand — safely walking to school.
As if choreographed, all three groups converged across the street from the school as a yellow jacket-clad crossing guard directed traffic. In true “Safe Kids” fashion, everyone waited for his signal before moving.
Afterward, two assemblies hosted by a AAA Mid-Atlantic representative were held for grades K-2 and 3–5. During the presentation, students received educational materials that they could take home to show their parents all they learned. The younger students also enjoyed a reading of “Clifford Takes a Walk” to further drive home the idea of pedestrian safety.
This was the first event of its kind at a Bucks County school, though similar activities are hosted throughout the country thanks to Safe Kids, which has more than 300 coalitions nationwide. Everett adopted Safe Kids Bucks County 23 years ago, with St. Mary as its lead local agency, to take advantage of resources that wouldn’t otherwise be available.
“It’s something bigger than ourselves,” she said of the organization.
Everett explained how Safe Kids provides grants that enable schools to host events like the one at Walter Miller. Bucks County recently received a PennDot Community Safety Grant as well, which Everett said will be used to hire a full-time St. Mary staff member to conduct research and plan more safety-related activities in different communities.
As she continues to expand Safe Kids Bucks County, Everett’s goal is to eliminate fragmented services for injury prevention. Many organizations are doing work to promote safety, but she doesn’t want their efforts to be duplicated. Rather, resources should be combined to be as effective and efficient as possible, all for the benefit of community safety.
“We want to look at everyone doing prevention efforts and get them on the same page,” she said. ••
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
