The BC Coroners Service has released a report that looked into the deaths of 81 children who were pedestrians, cyclists and boarders and were all involved in motor vehicle incidents.
Recommendations, as a result of the report included changes to the approaches in road design, increased traffic knowledge for children and youth, and the promotion of the adoption of legislation for better sensors and cameras on new vehicles.
The panel found that more than two-thirds of those who died were pedestrians, with 21 per cent being cyclists and 11 per cent boarders, including skateboards, longboards or toboggans.
Twice as many boys died as girls.
Factors found to increase the risk of a death included speeding by a vehicle driver, lack of visibility, impairment as a pedestrian or cyclist, and lack of developed knowledge and skills relating to road safety.
The panel also noted that among children under the age of five, almost half died in incidents in driveways in which they were struck by a vehicle either backing up or moving forward where they could not been seen by the driver.
