Mobile phones and ipods are killing a lot of 11 to 16 year olds!

What! That can’t be true.

No it’s usually a car that kills them - because they don’t see it coming when they are distracted by a phone call, a text message, or their music.

Accidents and injuries are a big risk for 11 to 16 year olds.

They are more likely to be killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian or cyclist than any other age group.

Traffic accidents kill almost 3000 every year and injure another 22,000.

There are also quite a few sports injuries, about 250,000 a year, with skating and skateboarding alone claiming over 10,000 victims.

Around 4,000 a year end up in the emergency room because of alcohol. Another distraction which often leads to getting run over, falling over, falling off something having been inspired to daring acts or they may have drunk themselves into a coma.

That’s a lot of injured young people.

Sports injuries aside, you might think that the biggest risk and the most likely cause of a trip to hospital is being assaulted or mugged. Happily it’s not. It is one of the highest perceived risks, but one of the least likely outcomes.

And in the same way that you can reduce the risk of a traffic accident, you can seriously reduce your chances of being assaulted, mugged or abducted, even if the probability is low, by following some simple guidelines.

So, when you’re on your way to school or you’re going out to have some fun with your friends - this is what you can do to keep you and your possessions safe.