Why do children have such a hard time crossing the street safely?

Today’s Video of the Day comes from a new study from the University of Iowa that answers the question: why do children struggle to cross a busy street safely?

It seems so simple: you look both ways and calculate the time it will take to cross the street without getting hit. But according to this study, children under a certain age lack the perceptual judgment and motor skills to make this assessment.

“Some people think younger children may be able to perform like adults when crossing the street,” said Jodie Plumert, professor in the University of Iowa’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. “Our study shows that’s not necessarily the case on busy roads where traffic doesn’t stop.”

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By Rory Arnold, Earth.com

Source: Hank Virtual Environments Lab, University of Iowa