Children cannot reliably detect a vehicle approaching above 20 mph – a developmental limit, not carelessness. What that means for the school run, the 44% injury reduction Safe Routes to School produced in New York, and why nearly two thirds of school-bus-related child deaths happen outside the bus.
More than three quarters of US pedestrian deaths happen after dark, and fatal night crashes rose 84% in thirteen years. What the IIHS found about tall, flat vehicle fronts, why night-time autobrake still struggles, and the vision research showing the same reflective material works two to five times better on your ankles than on your chest.
Observation surveys found no unrestrained infants on the road — yet a quarter of infant crash deaths were unrestrained. Car seats cut fatal injury risk 71% for babies. The stages, and the five installation mistakes that keep showing up.
US traffic deaths fell to 36,640 in 2025, the second-lowest rate on record. But among rear-seat occupants killed in crashes only 32% were belted, against 84% everyday use — and an unbelted passenger behind you is a danger to you.
