Child road safety Archives

Road Safety Rules In The Netherlands

Posted on February 11, 2019 by TSB Super Admin

The Netherlands is a country where cyclists form a quarter of its traffic along with cars, buses, trams, trucks and trains.

With an enormous number of cyclists on the road, driving can be a challenge. The Netherlands Transport Ministry issues road safety rules and regulations for both motorists and cyclists.

Driver’s License

The minimum age requirement for obtaining a Dutch driving license for cars is 17 years.
A moped driving license can be obtained by drivers aged 16 and above.
The learner has essentially to pass a compulsory theory exam and a final practical exam from the Central Office of Driving Certification (CBR).
Before the final practical exam, learners have to perform an intermediate practical exam in stopping, turning and parking.
High-speed bicycles with speed limits of 45km/h are required to have number plates. The riders should possess moped driving licenses.

Speed Limits

In general, the speed limits are 50 km/h on the city roads (urban areas) and 80 km/h on other rural roads.
The maximum speed allowed on expressways is 100 km/h and on motorways is 130 km/h
Traffic fines are imposed for speed violations. Speeding above the limits by 3-4 km/h is not fined on most of the roads. On roads where the speed limit is 130 km/h, there is no margin for violation. Even speed of 1 km/h above the limit is fined.
The speed is limited to 30 km/h within built-up areas and 40 km/h outside built-up areas on bicycle or moped tracks.
If excessive speeds are detected, the driver incurs on-the-spot fines.

Road Signs

Priority signs are those that indicate Stop, Start and End of Priority Roads, Give Way.
Warning signs indicate No Entry, Entry Closed to Cycles, Mopeds and Trucks; those that ban entry of vehicles exceeding specified lengths.
Instruction signs are those that ask to Drive Ahead, Keep Right, Turn Right, etc.
Warning signs indicate the presence of Hills, Curves, School Crossings, Tram Crossings, Road Closures, etc.

Read Also: Road Safety Rules In Australia

Traffic Lights

Traffic lights follow the sequence of red, amber, green. An illuminated arrow alongside traffic lights indicates that vehicles can turn only in the direction of the arrow.
Signals with an illuminated picture of a bicycle pertain to bicycle/moped riders.
Signs stating ‘Right turn clear for bicycles and mopeds’ implies the amber and red lights do not apply to them and they can turn right.
Traffic lights for buses and trams follow the white, amber, red sequence where the flashing white light indicates that they can proceed.
At pedestrian crossings, a green light shows that they can cross; flashing green light warns that the light might turn to red soon and red light prevents pedestrians from crossing.

Safety Rules

Drivers and all passengers in the car should wear seat-belts.
Children below the age of 5 and below the height of 1.35m should be seated on safety seats at the rear of the car.
Helmets are to be worn by motorcyclists.
Mobile phones can be used only with a hands-free device. Holding a mobile phone while driving is also considered an offence.

Road Rules

The Dutch drive their vehicles keeping to the right side of the road. They are expected to keep to the extreme right of the road.
Overtaking of vehicles is permitted from the left. Cyclists have to overtake other cyclists from the left. Trams may be overtaken from the right. Vehicles entering a roundabout may overtake from the right.
Drinking and driving is illegal. Drivers who have been in possession of a license for five years or longer are permitted an alcohol level of a maximum of 50 mg/100 ml of blood. If one has held a license for less than five years the tolerance level is 20 mg/100 ml. The alcohol level allowed for scooter and moped drivers under the age of 24 is 20 mg/100 ml.
The DUI law makes operation of a vehicle with even a small amount of (detectable) specific drugs in one’s system illegal. This offence could lead to imprisonment and suspension of licenses for up to five years.
Traffic, including cyclists, approaching from the right has to be given priority unless signs indicate otherwise.
Trams are to be given priority over all other traffic except in areas where sign-posts mention otherwise.
Drivers reversing, performing U-turns, exiting and entering roads must give way to other vehicles at all times.
Drivers are not permitted to execute U-turns or reverse on motorways and highways.
Trailers and heavy vehicles are restricted to using the two right innermost lanes.
Dipped headlights have to be used after dark and in poor visibility conditions.
In cities and built-up areas, headlights can be flashed if necessary; horns can be used only in dangerous situations.
Pedestrians should walk on the pedestrian tracks. Pedestrians should familiarize themselves with the network of bicycle paths as most often they resemble foot-paths.
Cyclists are allowed to ride two abreast.

Parking

P-Zones are parking areas, most of which are metered. Areas with parking meters allow vehicles to be parked for 1-2 hours on paying the charges.
Blue-zone parking in urban areas permits parking on display of time-stamped traffic disc. The discs can be obtained from motor clubs and police stations.
Parking garages allow parking on payment of charges.
Park and Ride spaces are organized parking spaces outside the city limits. Drivers park in these spaces and use public transport to their destinations.
Alongside ‘no parking’ signs, rectangular signs indicate times when parking is restricted in such areas.
Parking is prohibited within five meters from intersections, outside built-up areas, on broken yellow lines and in places obstructing exits and entrances.
Cycles and mopeds are to be parked on pavements, footpaths and areas specifically assigned for parking.
Disabled drivers and invalid carriages are exempted from parking restrictions.
Despite traffic rules, traffic jams are a major occurrence during peak times. The narrow inner roads get congested and traffic spills over on to main highways.
Being wary of cycle riders, while driving, slows the drivers. The government maximizes its efforts to see that the roads are made safer and the drivers are therefore happier.

Step by Step Procedure for Child Road Safety

Posted on October 24, 2017 by TSB Super Admin

Road safety for Children can be ensured by the systematic and pragmatic approach in implementing the rules of traffic in society. In addition, the enforcement of traffic rules should be done in a phased manner so as to include all the people, with special emphasis on children. Nevertheless, children are most vulnerable on the roads to be accident victims because of their age, ignorance and playful nature.

This issue can be solved by taking some actions to educate and enforce traffic rules.

1. Road safety lessons for children

Teach them young and they will learn for a lifetime. This is true even for traffic rules. Moreover, lessons on traffic rules and road safety practices should be taught as a part of the curriculum. And it enhances the knowledge of traffic rules among kids, which teaches them to safeguard themselves on the road. It will also serve as a strong base for building a sensible future generation following traffic rules.

2. Road safety Games, mock drills and Traffic Park visits

Mere teaching of lessons will not be enough to instill practical and effective knowledge on traffic rules. As a matter of fact, road safety games, mock traffic drills, and visit to nearby Traffic Parks can fill this void. Ordinarily, children will receive hands-on experience in real life scenario to further strengthen their knowledge of traffic rules.

3. First Aid lessons and volunteer assistance

Schools can also make it mandatory for the students to learn basic first aid lessons in case of accidents so that lives can be saved and injuries can be minimal. As a result, elder children can be volunteered for managing traffic near the school vicinity during rush hours along with police personnel.

4. Seek public and Government support in ensuring road safety for children.

School authorities can approach governmental agencies like traffic police personnel for ensuring road safety for children near the schools during the peak traffic times. In fact, public support can also be sought to ensure road safety for children.

5. Request Traffic Department for installing traffic signs and symbols near school vicinity

School management can also request the traffic department for installing traffic signs and symbols at the vicinity of the school considering the safety of the kids. At the same time, they can also seek assistance of a traffic police personnel near the school for the kids to cross the road safely.

5. Provide RFID tags to all children

RFID technology can be incorporated into the identity cards of children for better monitoring of kids inside the school premises as well as during their journey to school. As a consequence, the RFID tags can be read with a scanner unit installed in the buses, which then sends the data to the parents or educators.

6. Install GPS trackers in school transportation vehicles

The RFID tags will not be fully effective if the parents /educators cannot know the whereabouts of the school bus. Furthermore GPS trackers installed in school buses assists you to locate the position of the vehicle based on satellite data and transmit the same for public awareness. The data can be read with the support of a GPS enabled Smartphone

7. Develop and offer Smartphone based apps or PUSH notifications to parents and educators on the whereabouts of children

Specific apps catering to the parents/educators on road safety for children can be developed and implemented. PUSH notifications can be advantageous when parents do not prefer app installation and data usage. However, the PUSH mail services share the information via SMS and do not require specific apps.

8. Create societal awareness on the need to provide our children safer roads to travel

All the efforts by Governmental agencies, school authorities, and parents will be effective only if public participation is ensured. There should be focus-driven drives for creating awareness on road safety for children by all these nodal agencies at regular intervals. Similar to the enforcement of other rules, there should be a dedicated effort to safeguard the children on the roads. Meanwhile, pamphlets, awareness drives, FM ads, billboards, etc. can meet the goal if properly implemented.

9. Parental monitoring

Parental monitoring will be the only option available to ensure child road safety when the children walk or resort to private modes of transport to reach school.

12 Safety Tips Every Child should Know About

Posted on November 7, 2016 by TSB Super Admin

Children like to play, explore and discover new things. It will help them to grow, learn, develop, become skillful and intrepid. As a parent, you always try to protect your children. But it is not possible for you to protect them throughout the day. And hence you can teach them certain safety rules or tips which help them to take care of themselves.

Here are the 12 safety tips you should teach your child for improving child road safety:

Also Read:

5 Must-know Unwritten Road Safety Rules on Indian Roads

Ways Students Play a Role in Road Safety

1. Teach them about basic contact information

If you teach your children about basic contact information, then it can be useful for them in times of an emergency. You may wonder about the contents in basic contact information. It can include your child's full name, your name, address, phone number, and location. You should repeatedly tell these details to your children, so that they may never forget about it later.

2. Advise them not to go anywhere with strangers

   You should make your child aware of the fact that however tight the situation is, they should never approach or accompany a stranger. Also, tell them not to blindly believe a stranger who claims that “Your parent told me to get you”.

   If you have arranged someone to get your child in times of emergency, tell them, and if possible show them the picture of that person. Try to send someone whom you trust and you can rely upon like a grandparent, aunt, or a relative. You can create a safety code with your child and when someone shares that code, your child will be able to know it's okay to go with them.

3. Make your child aware about road safety

Your children might be exposed to road related accidents and injuries, due to the lack of supervision and guidance. It will be better, if you do not allow your child to play near roads.

For ensuring their safety, here follows certain rules you should make your child aware of:

Before crossing the road – Look left, right and then left again
Cross the road by holding hands of an adult
Don't run or play near a road
Know about traffic signs and lights
Face the traffic if you walk on a road with no sidewalk
Try to get out of the vehicle on the pavement side only
Use a helmet while riding a bicycle, scooter or skateboard

4. Tell them to stand where they are, if they get lost

Your children may panic a lot, when they get lost. If such situations occur, then as a parent, you can tell them to stay where they are, and inform the relevant authorities (if it is a school, inform the teacher, friend's parent or principal). And remind them not to wander aimlessly, and create further confusion.

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Importance of Student Road Safety Education

5. Warn them not to share personal information online

Nowadays, even children are addicted to computers and hence, it is vital for you to give them appropriate safety lessons. You can teach your children not to reveal personal details such as phone number, residence details, age, school they attend etc. online.

6. Avoid using or carrying dangerous items

You should advise children to avoid dangerous items such as knives, matchboxes, and other weapons for their safety. When you remove such items from your child's reach, tell them that such things are used by adults only and hence they should avoid it.

7. Teach them about good and bad attitude

Children should be able to understand the difference between good and bad behaviours. It is your responsibility to teach and help them determine whether someone is behaving to them appropriately or not. Also, you can tell them that if some stranger tries to touch their body, they should immediately call out for help. You should also give certain exceptions such as for a doctor who has to touch them for taking care of injuries.

8. Instruct them not to keep secrets

Secret keeping is a bad habit for elders as well as young ones. As a responsible parent, it is your duty to make them understand about the side effects of keeping secrets and reduce the fear of telling you about it. You should inculcate a feeling in them, that they can share those secrets freely to you and you will not make any judgements on the basis of it.

9. Make your child aware of certain important contacts

Obviously, your child may face difficulties in their school. Make sure that your child knows your contact number as well as the contact number of police (100) for handling emergency situations. This will help ensure safety for your child.

10. Teach them about the importance of cleanliness

Most children are unaware about the importance of cleanliness. You can teach it to them, and make them understand the consequences if they do not have proper cleanliness. Tell them to keep themselves and their surroundings clean.

11. Tell them to follow their instincts

You can tell your child to follow their instincts, understand it's importance and thus be safe. Also, tell them not to do any activity that they are unsure or uncertain about, even if you feel isolated from a group.

12. Make sure that your children can take care of themselves

It is your responsibility to teach your children about safety and its importance in life. Hence, you can advise them to know about various safety rules and regulations and properly follow it at the right time.

Child road safety is very much important in today's busy world. Hence, it is crucial for you to teach your kid about basic safety rules and the importance of following them. There are certain simple rules you can make your kid learn right from childhood. But make sure that you use language that can be understood by them. Above all, you should make them understand about the fact that the key of safety is in their hands.

Be cautious, Life is precious

School Bus Safety Rules for Kindergarten Students- Part I [Infographics]

Posted on October 31, 2016 by TSB Super Admin

Every child should have proper awareness on school bus safety. As a younger rider, they may have so many confusions and tensions about road safety. Hence, it is your responsibility to teach and transmit knowledge of basic road safety rules and regulations to your kids.

When you give advices continuously to your children, they get frustrated and irritated. One of the best ways to convey the idea of safety in children is to show and demonstrate those safety rules in front of them. There are certain safety rules that a child should know about and follow for their own safety.

As a parent, you can be the most influential teacher and this can help you greatly in persuading your child to follow certain safety etiquette. You can spend some time with your child to discuss about safety and explain about its importance. As a result of this, your child become more vigilant on the road.

The greatest risk for your child is not riding the school bus, but nearing or leaving the bus, thus children should be cautious when they are around the school bus. Hence, it is better for them to follow certain essential safety rules and regulations, so that they can enjoy a secure and delightful journey.

What Parents Can Do To Teach Children About Road Safety

Posted on October 25, 2016 by TSB Super Admin

Child road safety is a topic of great concern, especially on Indian roads. It’s a fact that road accidents impact everyone, including children. And so, it is crucial that parents should teach their children how to use the roads safely. Whether as a pedestrian, cyclist or as a passenger, or even in a car or on public transport, kids should be taught to stay safe.

They should also learn the importance of where to play safely, away from traffic and roads. Here are certain points that you, as a parent can teach your kids about road safety.

Must Read:

11 Essential Road Safety Rules and Tips for Children

Teach the Basic Principles of Road Safety

The right road crossing procedure – It is crucial that the kids should be taught a step by step way to cross the road safely. Steps may include staying one step back from the footpath before crossing, looking in all directions for approaching traffic and crossing only when it is safe to cross the road.

Kids should also be familiar with pedestrian (zebra) crossing and pedestrian traffic lights. In roads where there are no crossings available, they should be trained to choose a safe place. The place should be the one where vehicles and traffic signals are clearly visible. Make them familiar with traffic signals. Teach them to only cross when they can see the green WALK sign and never cross when they can see a red DON’T WALK sign.

Awareness about headphones – Parents should teach them about the disadvantage of using headphones when using roads. Listening to music or talking via phone while crossing may make it difficult to hear oncoming traffic, resulting in accidents. In case if they would like to listen to music while walking, encourage them to keep music at a reasonable volume and only use one headphone.

Let them know about driveway dangers – Learn them about the importance of being careful around driveways and ask them to stop at driveways when they are walking to check if there are cars coming in or out. They should be aware about playing behind cars. Teach them that while reversing the car, they should make sure to check there are no children or any other pedestrians nearby.

Bike safety at roads – Most bike accidents that involve kids are due to lack of experience and careless driving. So, while teaching bike riding, make sure your child learns it on the road itself under the supervision of an experienced adult. Supervision is essential until he or she understand the road rules and can exhibit good bicycle control. Teach them the importance of wearing helmets while riding and how it can save their lives in an accident.

Read Also:

10 Important Road Safety Rules to Teach Your Children

Safety with other wheeled devices – Other wheeled devices such as roller skates and skateboards needs to be used safely on road. If your kids are using them, make sure they are traveling within the recommended speed limit. They must be taught to keep to the far left side when traveling on a road or footpath. Also ensure they are wearing a helmet, shoes and other protective clothing such as knee and elbow pads and wrist guards to prevent injuries.

Cycling safety concerns – Before riding on roads, children should be given proper cycle training. The training should also include practical on-road cycling under supervision, thus obtaining real world experience. They should be forced to use cycle helmet at all times. Show the latest news that comes in media, where other kids are saved from accidents by wearing one.

Make them environment-friendly – While usage of cars and other private vehicles are increasing, you should also teach your kids of the environmentally-friendly modes of transport such as walking, cycling, car pooling and catching public transport. Make them understand how these modes can benefit the nature.

Child road safety is crucial for your children’s freedom, and development, of course they should be trained to use their roads with respect.