New Study Finds Nearly Half of Drivers Violate Stop Signs Where Young Children Walk

National SAFE KIDS Campaign Teams With FedEx Express for International Walk to School Day

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7 -- New research unveiled today by the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and FedEx Express revealed that nearly half of motorists are not stopping at stop signs near school zones and in residential areas across the nation, potentially endangering children as they travel to and from school each day.

Stop Sign Violations Put Child Pedestrians at Risk: A National Survey of Motorist Behavior at Stop Signs in School Zones and Residential Areas examines the frequency of driver compliance with stop signs at unsignalized, marked and unmarked pedestrian crosswalks near schools and in residential areas.

  Other findings include:

  * Of vehicles surveyed, more than a third (37 percent) of motorists rolled
    through stop signs at intersections and nearly a tenth (7 percent) of
    motorists did not even slow down before stop signs.

  * At intersections with marked crosswalks, one quarter (25 percent) of
    vehicles stopped in or past the crosswalks.

  * When only child pedestrians were present, nearly a third (32 percent) of
    motorists violated the stop signs.

  * At intersections where pedestrians were crossing, nearly a quarter (24
    percent) of drivers did not come to a complete stop.

Despite the fact that decreased rates of walking have contributed to a significant decline in child pedestrian deaths and injuries, pedestrian injury remains a leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children. Each year, stop sign violations are associated with approximately 200 fatal crashes and 17,000 non-fatal injury crashes. Children are at risk of injury when stop sign and pedestrian right-of-way laws are violated.

Thousands of FedEx volunteers will join with the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and local SAFE KIDS coalitions across the U.S. on Wednesday, October 8, to teach students safe pedestrian behaviors, identify dangerous pedestrian hazards and work with school communities to improve environments for child pedestrians, as part of International Walk to School Day.

"The majority of motorists are putting child pedestrians at serious risk because they fail to stop at stop signs or crosswalks," says Dr. Martin Eichelberger, president of SAFE KIDS and director of Emergency Trauma and Burn Services at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign and FedEx Express call upon SAFE KIDS coalitions and chapters, as well as other safety, transportation, health and environmental advocates, to work toward safer traffic environments. These actions include assessing pedestrian conditions in residential areas, participating in school-based activities like International Walk to School Day and advocating for more funding for programs such as Safe Routes to School.

"Safety is a core FedEx value and the first consideration in all our operations, particularly when it comes to child pedestrians," said David J. Bronczek, president and chief executive officer, FedEx Express. "Through our ongoing relationship with SAFE KIDS, we are committed to using our safety expertise and employee volunteer support to make a meaningful difference in the communities where our employees live and work."

For more information or for a copy of Stop Sign Violations Put Child Pedestrians at Risk: A National Survey of Motorist Behavior at Stop Signs in School Zones and Residential Areas, contact the National SAFE KIDS Campaign at 202-662-0600 or visit www.safekids.org. To find local International Walk to School Day events, please visit www.walktoschool.org.

The National SAFE KIDS Campaign is the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury -- the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local SAFE KIDS coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, comprise the Campaign.

SAFE KIDS Walk This Way, a grassroots pedestrian safety initiative in more than 300 schools nationwide, is made possible through support from program sponsor FedEx Express. Through this year-round program, children learn safe pedestrian behaviors; school communities identify the pedestrian hazards surrounding their schools; and school pedestrian safety committees and task forces lead efforts to educate pedestrians and drivers about safe behaviors, enforce traffic laws and improve environments for child pedestrians.

International Walk to School Day is dedicated to walking to school with a purpose -- to promote physical activity, safety, health and concern for the environment. International Walk to School Day is promoted nationally by The Partnership for a Walkable America. www.walktoschool.org