Kids dart. Drive Smart.

These are signs that you can see throughout the Indianapolis area posted in yards The "Kids Dart. Drive Smart" initiative started by Riley Children's Hospital in 2007 provides the signs free of charge at the expense of the Hospital (occasionally with the addition of a corporate sponsor). Here is the Hospital's official statements on the program from 05/15/2008 that can be found at http://www.rileydocs.com/news050508.html .

"Indianapolis - Due to the overwhelming success of last year's Kids dart. Drive smart. child safety campaign, Riley Hospital for Children is taking the campaign statewide and partnering with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, hospitals across the state and the local community in a concentrated effort to reduce driving speeds during the summer and back-to-school months - a time of year when more children are injured while playing and bicycling.

"Kids dart. Drive smart. is a unique grassroots effort to protect child pedestrians who frequently are injured by motorists and is designed to remind adults that children are at play and to slow down to help keep them safe," said Dr. Tres Scherer, medical director of Riley's Pediatric Trauma Center. "This year's campaign will extend beyond the Indianapolis metro area and engage statewide partners, coalitions and referring physicians in which more than 20,000 yard signs are expected to be distributed."

The Kids dart. Drive smart. campaign will engage neighborhoods, schools, churches, businesses and individuals to raise awareness and significantly reduce injuries.

"As we patrol the streets of Marion County, we see just how many children are out in the neighborhoods and streets during the summer months," said Chief Michael Spears, of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. "It is important for IMPD to partner with Riley in this important public safety campaign to encourage motorists to drive safely and pay attention to their surroundings."

Riley Hospital for Children is making Kids dart. Drive smart. yard signs available at no cost, as supplies allow, for neighborhoods and homes in an effort to reinforce the message of child pedestrian safety and engage the community.

The yard signs feature children running and playing underscored with the phrase "Kids dart. Drive smart." They serve as a reminder that it is difficult for children to accurately judge the distance of an approaching vehicle and often will dart from between parked cars while playing.

In addition to yard signs that will be on display throughout the state of Indiana, radio spots, billboards and viral web videos will also reinforce the importance of watching out for kids at play.

Research has shown that, while children may be keenly aware of the danger automobiles present, younger children have not fully developed their depth perception. That can lead to kids running out into the street and in front of vehicles with little time for the drivers to react.

More than 44,000 child pedestrians were injured in the U.S. during 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available. From 1999-2005, the nation saw 7,299 pedestrian fatalities among children 17 years of age and younger. Indiana children accounted for 128 of those deaths.

From 1999-2006, Clarian Health, including Riley Hospital for Children, treated 1,127 children younger than 18 years of age after being struck by a motor vehicle while walking or riding a bike. Eight resulted in fatalities. As was the case nationally, more males, 67 percent, were treated for pedestrian injuries than females at Clarian. The following age groups represent the percentage of injuries:

• Ages 0 -1: 12.8 percent
• Ages 5-9: 32 percent
• Ages 10-14: 37 percent
• Ages 15-17: 17.8 percent "

The information they have posted seems pretty factual, but the source of statistics they use are not given which is strange. This is a great program that the Riley Children's Hospital has started, now let's discuss the signs themselves. The signs are affective, attention grabbing, and don't give too much information which is good for anything that is to be seen while driving. The I feel the sign could be approved on with the addition of reflective imaging. Kids in the roadway are a problem that often doesn't stop at sundown. With the low cost addition of reflective material on the sign drivers would be reminded of children present in residential areas after dark. Keeping the reflective pattern in the shape of the child in the image's outline would allow the reminder to be quickly transmitted even after dark.