Children with ADHD Prone to Pedestrian Accidents
Parents raising children afflicted with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) face unique challenges, but a new study suggest kids with ADHD may face a risk that few parents consider.
A new study indicates that children with ADHD who are under age 10 may not be able to cross the street safely. The research reveals that the ability of a child with ADHD to safely cross the street and avoid a Georgia pedestrian accident may be misleading to parents. A child with ADHD may act attentive and look both ways before beginning to cross the street but are less able than other children to judge whether it is safe to cross the street.
The study published in the July issue of Pediatrics concludes that kids with ADHD are significantly less accurate in judging whether it was safe to cross the street than kids without ADHD. The researchers found that children with ADHD allowed themselves far less time to cross the street and were involved in several near miss pedestrian accidents. Children with ADHD are at a disadvantage when trying to cross the street because the task entails rapidly processing a large volume of information.
Kids with ADHD are easily distracted and more prone to injuries. The report may actually underestimate the issue because the study was conducted in a distraction free environment. The kids in the study were asked to judge approaching vehicles and indicate when they would step into the intersection. This distraction free environment likely understates the magnitude of the risk to kids with ADHD where there may be many visual and audio distractions that provide even more information for kids with ADHD to process before entering an intersection in a real world situation.
Kids with ADHD were not actually asked to cross streets and put themselves in real peril. The study involved a virtual pedestrian crossing where kids evaluated traffic on computer monitors. When kids believed it was safe they would step down off of a virtual curb. After the kids stepped off the virtual curb, an avatar would proceed across the street revealing whether the child would have made it safely through the intersection.
The authors of the study indicate that the results are a result of the executive function mental operation that controls a child’s timing ability. This mental processing function originates in the brain’s control center and coordinates higher order processing operations. While parents’ message to look both ways is getting through to ADHD kids and influencing their behavior, the results suggest that ADHD kids need more time or practice to execute those safety warnings.
The revelation that kids with ADHD may have a harder time than other kids avoiding Georgia pedestrian accidents is particularly concerning when viewed in light of another new study reported recently in this blog. The previous study revealed that grade school children are not accurately able to judge speeds of approaching vehicles in excess of 20 mph. When taken in concert, these two studies suggest that younger kids with ADHD may face a high risk of being involved in a pedestrian accident when crossing a busy Atlanta or Georgia street.
At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we have been representing parents of children injured or killed in serious pedestrian accidents for 28 years. If your child is injured or suffers wrongful death caused by a negligent driver who is speeding, driving recklessly, paying inadequate attention or driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, our Georgia pedestrian accident attorneys are committed to helping our clients obtain the financial compensation that they need and deserve.
Our Georgia pedestrian accident lawyers are available to assist clients throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast, including but not limited to Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Gainesville, Macon, Marietta, Rome, Roswell, Savannah, Smyrna, Valdosta, Warner Robins and all smaller cities and rural areas in the state. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.