Child Safety Week 2022 – Safety in Mind

Last week was Child Safety Week (6th June to 12th June 2022). Child Safety Week is an annual national campaign delivered by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) which they intend to act as a catalyst for “safety conversations”.

This year’s campaign was designed to make sure busy families have “Safety in mind”.. Child Safety Week 2022 aims to help parents build the confidence and the skills they need to manage and minimise risks to their children’s safety.

The organisation provides factsheets and activities and free resources for parents to guide their children.

Some examples of accidents that can cause serious injuries to children include road traffic collisions, sports accidents, cycling accidents, accidents in public or private places and accidents at nursery or school.

Data shared by CAPT shows that older children are at greater risk on the roads and accidents peak at the age of 12.

Nationally 2,300 children under 16 are killed or injured on our roads every year and children living in the most deprived areas are three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian and six times more likely as a cyclist.

As adults we may take for granted that children know roads are dangerous and know how to use roads safely. However, this may not actually be the case.

Statistics like the ones I have set out above, have led to safety campaigners calling for parents to teach their children the Green Cross Code and this is heavily focused upon at school and in nurseries. The Highway Code (rule 7) states that children should not be allowed out on their own until they understand and can use the Green Cross Code.

By being clear on the risks at each stage of a child’s development and knowing what simple changes can be made, parents and carers can be supported to put in place measures that can help to avoid or prevent serious accidents and injuries.

Accidents involving children can be catastrophic and devastating; something our injuries and medical claims team has unfortunately dealt with first-hand. However, many can be prevented through education.