According to a study, traffic accidents involving children tend to occur after school leaves … and in the spring!
Look left, right, then left again. It is a reflex that all parents instill in their offspring to avoid accidents. But it is when they are left unattended that young people suffer the most road accidents. This is highlighted by a study presented on March 24 at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).
Boys are more affected than girls by traffic accidents (79% of cases) according to the authors of this study conducted on 100 children involved in accidents. On average, the victims were 8 years old. At the time of the accident, most were not accompanied by an adult: 34% were traveling with friends, 13% alone and 13% with an older brother or sister. It is also often on the way to school that accidents are reported. “There is a peak in injuries during the hot months, particularly around schools and bus stops near schools,” said Alexa Karkenny, author of the study. The month of June is in the lead, followed by the spring months.
Hours are also strongly correlated with school leaving. Four in ten accidents occurred between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., 29% between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. “Keeping in mind these spatial, temporal and behavioral predictors of orthopedic trauma would allow us to guide prevention strategies in urban settings,” says Alexa Karkenny.
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