Traffic accidents rank first among 2024 child safety news stories

Taipei, Jan. 13 (CNA) Traffic accidents were ranked first among the 212 major news stories involving child safety last year compiled by the Jing Chuan Child Safety Foundation, with 86 cases leading to 115 deaths and injuries to children under the age of 14, the foundation said Monday.

Of the 86 traffic accidents, 70 percent were caused by drivers who failed to yield to pedestrians, foundation executive director Hsu Ya-jen (許雅荏) said at a news conference where the child safety watchdog released its 2024 child accident news analysis report.

Hsu indicated that last year, after excluding child abuse and sexual assault cases, there were 212 accidents involving child safety, which caused the deaths of 30 children and 271 injuries.

No. 2 on the news story list were cases involving neglect, while food poisoning ranked third, Hsu said, adding that traffic accidents ranked the highest in terms of both the number of cases and the number of casualties.

Citing statistics from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' road traffic safety platform, Hsu said that nearly 60 percent of traffic-related deaths and injuries among children involved motorcycles.

Comparing this data with accident reports, the foundation identified the main causes as vehicles failing to yield and incidents of children suddenly darting out, Hsu added.

Hsu further explained that an in-depth analysis of road safety information and platform data revealed that in pedestrian-related traffic accidents involving children, 70 percent were caused by vehicles failing to yield to pedestrians, while 30 percent were attributed to the actions of the children themselves.