Got several emails from parents about letting children walk alone. Basic consensus seems to be that abductions happen and if they ever let it happen they'd feel like the worst people ever.
In the year 2000, there were 2343 traffic fatalities for kids 0-14, though in about a fifth of those they were pedestrians.
Anyway, I'm not being judgmental here, it is just an interest case where exaggerated fears have combined with immense social pressure to produce a sad outcome.
