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When I was young we lived in a cul-de-sac and after schools, and during the school holidays, children were a permanent fixture out in the street, kicking a ball around or riding their bicycles. There were no closures to cars and the drivers and kids were just cautious of each other. Now I’m the parent and we live in a very similar cul-de-sac there are never any children playing outside. I’d be quite happy for my son to play out in the street, but given there’s nobody out there, it’s understandably not very appealing for him. I don’t think the issue (here at least) is the vehicles, I think it’s a combination of the “stranger danger” mentioned in the article making parents afraid of letting their children out unsupervised and that other thing we all struggle with: screens. When I was a child there was far less to keep you entertained indoors. Now, with phones, games consoles and the internet, the options are endless. The lack of children playing outdoors is something my wife and I frequently lament, but I think the screens shoulder more of the blame than the cars.