ID :
324059
Thu, 04/10/2014 - 12:44
Auther :

Accidents of Japan Elementary School 1st, 2nd Graders Surge in May

Tokyo, April 10 (Jiji Press)--The number of pedestrian accidents involving first- and second-grade elementary school kids tend to surge in May in Japan, the National Police Agency said in a survey report Thursday. The survey showed that 74 pct of the accidents occurred after school and that many cases resulted from schoolchildren rushing into the road or improperly crossing the road, such as not using crosswalks. The survey covered accidents between 2009 and 2013. "Although children act carefully soon after they enter elementary school or advance to the next grade in April, they may lose a sense of tension as time goes by," the agency said. "It takes time for children in early elementary grades to get used to traffic rules," the agency said, calling on parents and schools to teach them traffic rules continuously. The five-year total number of first graders who were killed or injured while walking came to 1,031 in May, far greater than 693 in April, 1,139 in June and 1,000 in July, and the total number for second graders stood at 848 in April, 981 in May, 1,046 in June and 847 in July. Growth in May stood out among first and second graders despite little change among children in higher grades. In the five years, the total number of such deaths and injuries stood at 10,640 for first graders and 9,222 for second graders. The five-year number in May-July came to 6,044 for children in these grades, with 74 pct of the accidents occurring at 2 p.m. or later, according to the agency. END

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