Parents who allow their children to roam the streets alone or walk to school by themselves are putting the lives of their charges at risk.

Scientific data show that children under eight years old are unable to gauge speeds properly and are not fully capable of understanding the true concept of road safety.

Dr M.D. Sawh, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, told The Gleaner that at least three children under age 14, with broken bones or limbs as a result of motor vehicle crashes, are admitted weekly at the facility.

A child's vision is not yet fully developed so it is not easy for him or her to focus properly on all the action in the traffic environment.

Children are also smaller so they are not able to properly observe traffic.

Increase in fatalities

Since the start of the year, five children, under age 14, have been killed on the roads. January alone recorded four deaths, a 100 per cent increase over the corresponding period last year.

The Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport and Works could not provide empirical data on how many children are left alone to travel the streets.

Janett Peters, information officer at the Road Safety Unit, said that, usually, the children who are killed on the road were not accompanied by adults.

Observation by the unit has also shown that many children, especially those at the primary school level, go to school alone.

"Once they have passed basic school, most are not accompanied by an adult, they are alone," she said.

The challenge, Peters said, is to change the mindset of many adults who leave their children alone on the streets.

"They will be playing with a ball, it runs out in the road and they will chase it before they stop to see if they can properly go off after it," she said.

This year, the Road Safety Unit is seeking to intensify its public education programme within the schools.

In addition, the unit will be working with the parent-teacher association in an effort to improve road safety for children.

Motorists should drive at 30 km/h when travelling in built-up areas (inclusive of schools).

A pedestrian crossing sign is normally located before the pedestrian crossing, so motorists should slow down.

Motorists should also cut speed when approaching a school area and look out for children.

Motorists should slow down at the stop bar beyond the pedestrian crossing and wait until persons have completely crossed the road.