News Hundreds of Children Join Safe Kids Austin, Fed Ex & Austin Safe Routes to School on International Walk to School Day

AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 5, 2011) - Austin Safe Routes to School and Safe Kids Austin were joined by FedEx volunteers, City of Austin volunteers and local elementary school students and staff on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 to raise awareness of pedestrian and bike safety on International Walk to School Day. Child pedestrian injury remains the number two cause of unintentional injury death among children ages 5 to 14 in the US. As one out of every three child pedestrian deaths occurs between 3 and 7 p.m., it is especially important for children to learn pedestrian safety skills that will help make them safer as they walk to and from school.

This year, Austin Safe Routes to School and Safe Kids Austin are partnering with Wooldridge Elementary. Joined by Superintendent Meria Carstarphen and Police Chief Art Acevedo, volunteers from Fed Ex, City of Austin, and other local agencies will lead a walking parade, teach children and parents safe walking behaviors, and provide important safety tips. Wooldridge is one of the larger elementary schools in Austin, with a little over 900 students. Community partners joining in the walking parade include the Austin Police Department, the Austin Independent School District Police Department, local citizen volunteers, and the City of Austin's Code Compliance, Parks & Recreation and Animal Services Departments.

Wooldridge Elementary is located in Northeast Austin, where walking, cycling and heavy traffic are present on a daily basis. Local non-profit Children's Optimal Health and Dell Children's Medical Center Injury Prevention Department have created a special map that shows the locations of 309 collisions involving a motor vehicle and a child pedestrian or cyclist form January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 in Austin. Wooldridge is located on the map were the 2nd, 3rd, and 9th ranked locations are for collisions between child pedestrians and cyclist. This map will be shared for the first time, and is available at www.childrensoptimalhealth.org. (Transportation Related Child Injury pg. 17)

According to Tareka Wheeler, Coordinator of Safe Kids Austin, "The maps created by Children's Optimal Health helps us to identify areas of special concern, and we can use that kind of information to increase driver awareness and look for improvements to the walking environment." Combining these tactics with family education on safe walking behaviors, like those taught on International Walk to School Day, can help make a community safer. According to Ms. Wheeler, "No child should be in danger simply because they are walking to school or around their neighborhood."

Teaching safety is a passion for the employees and leadership of Fed Ex, a major partner in the event. "Safety is one of our company's core values, and we have been dedicated to improving child pedestrian safety through the Safe Kids Walk This Way program for a decade," said Todd Appenzeller, Fed Ex Express Operations Manager. "Our employees have worked hand-in-hand with Safe Kids Austin to teach Austin area children how to stay safer when they walk. Safe Kids Austin and its partners do a wonderful job in our community and we look forward to continuing to help them make walking safer for everyone."

"Walking and biking to school are great ways to 'fit fitness' into the day for students and parents," said Kristi Stillwell, Program Coordinator for Austin Safe Routes to School. "Austin is such a great city for walking and biking, so we're trying to bring it 'back in style,' while also making sure that kids and their parents know how to be safe when walking or biking to school. We work with the schools and many different community partners to encourage and educate the kids and their parents on these important messages."