A Feasibility Randomized Trial Evaluating Safe Peds: A Virtual Reality Training Program to Teach Children When to Cross Streets Safely.

This article evaluates the effectiveness of Safe Peds, a fully immersive virtual reality (VR) training program designed to teach children aged 7–10 years when and how to cross streets safely by targeting foundational skills such as stopping, checking traffic, and choosing safe inter-vehicle gaps. In a randomized controlled trial, children who received Safe Peds training showed significant improvements in stopping and checking behaviors and selected larger, safer gaps in traffic compared to controls, though they tended to delay starting their crossing after gap selection, which partially offset safety gains. The program’s phased approach provided practice in increasingly complex traffic scenarios, promoting skill generalization, and highlighted the need to add training on promptly initiating crossing once a safe gap is chosen. Limitations include a predominantly White, suburban, and economically advantaged sample, suggesting further research is needed to assess generalizability and long-term retention of skills.