Watch out for wee walkers

Think of them as 10,000 points of light. Students at Nibley Park Elementary donated enough funds for the city to buy 10,000 reflectors that can be worn by youngsters to make them more visible to passing cars. The push comes now because afternoons will become darker after clocks are rolled back on Sunday.

If one reflector saves one child, the push will be worth it.

Pedestrians in Salt Lake City long have been a concern. The extra-wide streets, east and west sun glare and inattentive motorists once had the city on the list of worst sites in the nation for walkers. Things have improved dramatically. But with people being encouraged by health professionals to do more walking, chances are more "near misses" will be showing up.

It's not just a local problem, of course. Some 84,000 pedestrians are struck by cars in American each year. Almost 25,000 of those are children. And 5,900 of the people who are hit die.

The kids at Nibley Park have the right idea. Education and outreach are the way to go. As the old Highway Patrol slogan had it, "It doesn't matter who's right in traffic. It only matters who's left."

And to help people — especially young people — be among the "left," parents should keep several things in mind.

First, practice pedestrian safety with children, don't just instruct them verbally. Draw a chalk line on the driveway or on the sidewalk and have them act out safe behavior. Have them walk to the curb and "put on the brakes" about 4 inches before reaching it. Practice with them. It will stick.

Have them look both ways while at the curb, of course. But the important thing is to make sure they continue to look back and forth as they cross the street. Many accidents are caused by cars shifting into reverse and backing up.

Tell children to not only watch for themselves, but to step in if some other child is walking recklessly.

Have children read traffic signs out loud to you. Make a game of recognizing the shapes and colors for "stop," "yield" and "caution."

In short, Nibley Park Elementary has the city off on the right foot. Now it's up to the citizens to take things another step.