Kids safe playing outside?

[aaronmidnight]

I live in a Brentwood subdivision. Children of all ages play outside - basketball, skateboarding, backyard play sets, riding bikes to the local swimming pool, etc.

Of all of these, I'd be most worried about the moderately reckless skateboarders getting hit by a distracted driver. (Although the bigger worry there is adults wearing dark clothing with no reflectors or flashlights walking dogs after dark on a street with very few streetlights. Seriously? That's asking for trouble.)

[ExIslander]

I agree with the above comments. Kids haven't changed since I was a kid, the perception of the world around them has (somewhat). We live in a mega-subdivision that has nearly as many kids as the entire small town where I grew up. It's a nice place, but everyone doesn't know everyone like we -- or at least my parents -- did back then. My pre-teen daughter is allowed to go over to her friends' houses without us chaperoning, but we need to know where she's going, and she knows she'll be in big trouble if we can't track her down.