Safety & Injury Prevention

1 in 7 parents have had concerns about their child’s feet or the way they walk. Only 6 in 10 parents are very confident they can tell if shoes are the right fit for their child. Only 1 in 3 parents are very confident they can tell if their child has flat feet.

2 in 3 parents say their child uses headphones or earbuds. Among parents whose child uses headphones or earbuds, 1 in 6 say a typical day for their child includes at least 2 hours using an audio device. Only half of parents have tried to limit their child’s usage of audio devices.

3 in 4 parents are concerned about the impact of air quality problems on their child’s health. 2 in 3 parents report poor or unhealthy air quality in their area, most often related to wildfires. Among parents reporting poor air quality in their area, 1 in 5 believe it affected their child’s health.

Half of parents have used pre-owned equipment for their child, while 4 in 5 have donated or sold pre-owned equipment. 2 in 3 parents feel it is hard to tell whether pre-owned equipment is safe for their child. Half of parents are comfortable only with pre-owned equipment shared by family or close friends.

Nearly half of parents have leftover prescription medicine at home. Only 1 in 5 parents think it is unsafe to take medicine past the expiration date. 1 in 7 parents have flushed expired or leftover medicine down the toilet or sink.

Half of parents say their child walks through the car drop-off or pick-up area when going to or from school. Over one-third of parents say drivers not paying attention or speeding are major problems around their child’s school. 1 in 3 parents say schools should suspend or ban parents who do not follow traffic rules from entering the school parking area.

Only half of parents recognize that screen time has a major impact on their child’s eye health. Most parents overlook simple actions to protect children’s eyes, such as wearing protective eyewear when playing sports and sunglasses when outside. 1 in 7 parents say their child has not had a vision test or seen an eye doctor in the past 2 years.

2 in 3 parents say their child always follows the rules when using sparklers. 1 in 5 parents would allow their child age 10 or younger to help set off fireworks. Only 1 in 5 parents said children sat at least 100 feet away from where aerial fireworks were being set off.

Less than half of parents rate general safety policies as essential to their camp decision. 1 in 12 parents report that a summer camp would need to accommodate their child’s health issue. Only half of parents feel very confident they can tell if a summer camp is safe and healthy for their child.

Among parents whose child goes sledding, 1 in 6 have not talked with their child about safety rules. Only 1 in 3 parents report their child wears a helmet when sledding. Over half of parents say their child aged 10-18 years does not have adult supervision when sledding, downhill skiing or snowboarding.