Did you know that child pedestrian incidents are a leading cause of death for Canadian children under the age of 14?

While children across the country head back to school this week, Safe Kids Canada is reminding drivers to slow right down in residential neighbourhoods and advising parents to teach their children safe pedestrian practices.

Each year, more than 30 children are killed and 2,400 are seriously injured by pedestrian incidents. Most of these incidents take place between 3 and 6 p.m., the time most children are walking home from school or participating in after-school activities.

Generously funded by FedEx Express Canada, Safe Kids Canada provides the Walk This Way pedestrian safety program year-round, providing education, resources and support for parents and community groups to keep their streets safer.

Here are some back to school safety tips from the Walk This Way program:

· Teach your child to stop at the curb, look left, right and left again, and to listen for oncoming traffic.

· Children under the age of nine lack the developmental skills to cross the street on their own and should be accompanied by an adult or responsible, older child.

· Be a role model by walking with your children to school and demonstrating safe pedestrian practices.

· Drivers need to slow down. The higher the speed, the higher the risk of injury, or even death, to a child pedestrian. If you hit a child at 50km/hr, there is an 80 per cent chance that child will die. If you hit a child at 30 km/hr, there is a 95 per cent chance that child will live!

· Distractions are dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Remind your children to put away their cell phones and take off ear buds before crossing the street.

For more information on child pedestrian safety, including fact sheets and parent tip sheets for the Walk This Way program, visit www.safekidscanada.ca or call 1-888-SAFE-TIP (723-3847).