Constantly reminding our children about the rules of the road is part and parcel of the parenting process, and while every parent seeks to teach their children about the dangers associated with traffic, researchers have recently suggested the parents of certain children may need to reinforce the point more often.
According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa, overweight children are more likely to experience pedestrian injury by displaying more impulsive and impatient behaviour than their slimmer counterparts.
Examining the theory that certain adolescents are more vulnerable to road traffic accidents, researchers created traffic and pedestrian simulations using three side-by-side 24-inch monitors.
With the help of 206 participants aged between seven and eight - youngsters aged between six and nine years old are the demographic most involved in pedestrian-vehicle collisions - researchers established that the heavier children were more likely to exhibit dangerous behaviour.
Commenting on the supposed link, lead author Elizabeth O'Neal, a psychology graduate student at Iowa said: "We tend to think of obesity as being detrimental to health, but we don't necessarily think of it affecting our health in the way we behave."
"Being overweight is putting increased stress on their joints, which is a little uncomfortable," she continued. "So, they are compromising their safety in order to expedite the crossing."
The findings have been published in the journal of Accident Analysis and Prevention.
