(TORONTO) August 29, 2011 – A Safe Kids Canada/FedEx Express Canada survey of Canadian parents of school aged children five to 14 years old revealed that nine out of 10 parents have discussed basic pedestrian safety practices with their children, but only 28 per cent of parents have discussed the risks of cell phone use while crossing the street.

Crossing the street while talking or texting using cell phones is dangerous for all ages but particularly for children. Research has shown that children who talk on cell phones while crossing the street are one-third more likely to be hit or nearly hit by a car, according to a University of Alabama at Birmingham study published in the journal Pediatrics in 2009.

Child pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of death for Canadian children under the age of 14. Every year more than 30 children are killed and 2,400 are seriously injured. Most incidents happen between 3 to 6 p.m., when drivers are coming home from work, and children may be walking home from school or activities.

“While we are pleased that parents are taking the time to discuss safe pedestrian habits with their children, additional emphasis needs to be placed on reducing distractions while walking, such as cell phone use,” says Pamela Fuselli, executive director, Safe Kids Canada. “With the school season set to begin, it’s a good time for parents to review with their children their route to school and discuss safe cell phone use.”

According to the Safe Kids Canada/FedEx Express Canada survey, conducted by Leger Marketing, while almost all of the parents surveyed believe it is not safe for their child to use their cell phone or send texts while crossing the street (97 per cent), more than a third of parents admit to using their own cell phone or texting while crossing the street (34 per cent). Fifty-one per cent of parents also admitted to not always following the speed limits while driving.

“Parents are their children’s best role model. You can tell your kids what to do but showing them, by modeling safe behaviour, is a very effective way to teach your children good safety habits,” says Fuselli. “The next time you are driving in a residential area, slow down – for the safety of all children.”

The Safe Kids Canada Walk This Way program recommends the following tips for back to school safety:

• Teach your child to stop at the curb, look left, right and left again, and to listen for oncoming traffic.   
• Children under the age of nine lack the developmental skills to cross the street on their own and should be accompanied by an adult or responsible, older child.
• Be a role model by walking with your children to school and demonstrating safe pedestrian practices.
• Drivers need to slow down. The higher the speed, the higher the risk of injury, or even death, to a child pedestrian. If you hit a child at 50km/hr, there is an 80 percent chance that child will die. If you hit a child at 30 km/hr, there is a 95 percent chance that child will live!
• Distractions are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Remind your children to put away their cell phones and take off ear buds before crossing the street.

For more information on child pedestrian safety, including fact sheets and parent tip sheets for the Walk This Way program, visit www.safekidscanada.ca or call 1-888-SAFE-TIP (723-3847).
Safe Kids Canada is generously funded by FedEx Express Canada to provide the Walk This Way pedestrian safety program year-round, providing education, resources and support for parents and community groups to increase the safety of their streets.

About Safe Kids Canada
Safe Kids Canada’s mission is to lead and inspire a culture of safety across the country in order to reduce unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children and youth in Canada.  As a national leader, Safe Kids Canada uses a collaborative and innovative approach to develop partnerships, conduct research, raise awareness and advocate to prevent serious injuries among children, youth and their families. Our vision is: Fewer Injuries. Healthier Children. A Safer Canada. Safe Kids Canada is the national injury prevention program of The Hospital for Sick Children.

About FedEx Corporation
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $39 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.

Leger Marketing surveyed 1,018 adult Canadians aged 18 and over with children aged 5 to 14.  The national online survey was conducted between July 25 to July 29, 2011.  A probability sample of the same size would yield a margin of error of +/-3.1%, 19 times out of 20.  

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For more information, please contact:
Lisa Lipkin
Manager, Communications & Marketing
Safe Kids Canada
Tel: 416-813-6164; e-mail: lisa.lipkin@sickkids.ca