“Safety is more important than convenience”- Don Hambidge
Safety is a key concern for parents. As a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure the road safety for your kids. Nevertheless, you cannot always accompany your kids and guide them. Of course, parents ensure the safety of their child at home and teachers or school transportation authority ensure the kid’s safety in order to safeguard the credibility of the schools. Meanwhile, who will be responsible for kid’s safety on the roads?
Moreover, a majority of students will either walk to school or obtain the school transportation services. As a result, it is your duty to assert them regarding the merits of possessing essential safety skills.
Relevance of road safety rules for kids
As a matter of fact, children will not be mature enough to realize what is right or what is wrong, while walking on the roads. Without the appropriate guidance and awareness of road safety rules, it is risky to send children unaccompanied. Based on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, it was established that 3% of the people died on the road were children.
Furthermore, 480 kids expire constantly due to road related accidents every year. Apart from that, among 4884 pedestrians who died in accidents, 207 of them are kids. In addition, when it is regarding the safety of your kid, you will not be able to swiftly compromise it. Consequently, once they reach the grown up stage, you can impart the road safety education to children.
Check out the 13 basic road safety rules for kids:
1. Aware of the road signals
Assist your kid to learn the traffic lights and signs. Check out the relevance of each color:
- Green light is an indication for “go”- Whenever the signal turns green, the vehicle can move ahead
- Red light is an indication “to stop”- All the vehicles have to stop, when the red light is on
- Yellow light is an indication “to slow down”- When the yellow light turns on, you should slow down your vehicle and prepare to stop
- “Walking man” signal at intersections are constructed for the pedestrians. Recall the fact that you will be authorized to cross the road only when the signal turns green. Ensure that there are no vehicles, both on the left and right side of the road
- Never attempt to cross the road, if the signboard signifies “Don’t walk” message or the walking symbol turns red
At times, a hand symbol is displayed instead of “walking man” symbol or “walk” signals. Teach the kids regarding it and if possible render them an awareness of the other essential traffic signals.
2. Stop, look, and cross
In fact, students will either walk to school or to the bus stop for waiting their respective school bus. The only task of students is to cross the road prudently, right after the school bus drops them off. Hence, you should undertake the responsibility to provide adequate guidance for crossing the road cautiously.
Teach them to be aware of various road signs and recommend them to utilize the zebra crossing while crossing the road. If there are no markings or signs, the following procedures can be worthwhile:
- Check the right side, after that to the left side of the road for the incoming vehicles
- If you notice a vehicle is approaching, wait for the vehicle to pass and then safely cross the road
- Do not cross the road at the turns, it is unsafe
- Never cross the road between the stopped vehicles
However, accompaniment is required for the children aged below 6 years and you should compulsorily hold their hands while crossing the road.
3. Listen
Educate the child to be extra vigilant while they cross the road at the turns. As a consequence, listening can only aid them. For this reason, instruct your child to listen and ensure whether a vehicle is approaching or not. Ordinarily, vehicles apply horns at turns and at unmanned intersections to provide a warning to other road users. Meanwhile, you can interpret the following instances to your child:
- If a horn is heard, stop and cross only after ensuring that no vehicle approaches you from left or right side of the road
- Ask them to keenly heed the vehicle engine sounds close-by. Inform them that if the sound is faint, it is away from you and if the sound is loud, it is nearing you
4. Don’t rush on roads
Children will not be tolerant and have a tendency to dash across the road to reach the other side. In addition, children become absent-minded when they are having fun and henceforth bound across or along the road. Furthermore, they will be effortlessly distracted and leave your hand to dart or sprint away. Therefore, teach your child to remain placid while they are near the road.
5. Relevance of Sidewalks
Persuade your child to avail the service of sidewalks whenever they walk on the road. Demonstrate your child how to cross the road safely. Motivate them to avail the sidewalks even though it is not a busy street.
6. Crossroads and pedestrian crossings
Kids will have a tendency to scoot across the street. This will become particularly perilous since vehicles will never slow down unless there is a cross road or relevant signal. Notify your kid to cross only at intersections and avail the pedestrian crossings. If there is no crossroad or pedestrian crossing, you can admonish your child to comply the rules mentioned above.
7. Place the hands inside the vehicle
In the mean time, a multitude of kids have the habit of placing their hands outside the vehicle while it is moving. At times, they will lay their head out and wave with exhilaration. This is a familiar sight among the school bus students. Nevertheless, these behaviors can have significant consequences. Due to carelessness, they will be injured by vehicles, which advances from the opposite direction.
8. Never cross road at bends
Bends are evidently the blind spot for motorists. When you attempt to cross at bends, the driver will be unable to recognize you and stop the car at the right time. As a result, kids will be hurt while crossing at bends.
9. Remain safe on a bicycle
If your kid rides bicycle to reach the school, ensure that they adhere to the following cycling rules:
- Compel them to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle
- Check the working condition of bicycle before starting the trip- you should thoroughly inspect brakes, light, etc.
- Utilize the bicycle lane. If such a lane does not exist, ride the bike either on the extreme left or right side of the road and glide along with the traffic. While cycling, have a consideration for bulky vehicles
- Apply headlights if the cycling area is not properly lightened and at night, and hence cyclists can be conveniently noticed by others
- Never permit your child to ride on congested streets without your supervision
10. Staying safe in a moving vehicle
In a moving vehicle, you can ensure the kid’s safety with the assistance of a seat belt. Let them practice the following safety rules in your absence:
- Never stand, stroll or sprint inside a moving vehicle
- Remain seated and hold the rails on the seats until the school bus halts
- Do not put your body part outside the moving vehicle
11. Get off the vehicle at the curb side
Ask your kid to memorize the following safety tips and conform to the rules while they descend from the school bus:
- Ensure that you reach the bus stop prior to the scheduled bus timing in order to avert the circumstance of running behind the school bus
- Form a queue to board or descend the school bus
- Disembark the school bus at the curbside in order to evade unnecessary endangerment and hindrance to other vehicles
12. Be visible, remain safe
It is advisable to not to wear black clothes at night. Safety is a key consideration for everyone and hence your kid should be seen or noticed by drivers. To be noticed, it is wise to follow the procedures given below:
- Insist your kid to wear reflective materials or light colored attires while strolling or cycling at night
- Convince your kids regarding the relevance of wearing bright colored clothes during daytime
- If possible, wave towards the incoming vehicle to indicate your presence on the road
13. Don’t surge
Children display over-enthusiasm whenever they need to meet someone or reach the desired destination. Teach your kids the following tips:
- Rushing while you board or descend the vehicle can be increasingly hazardous
- Never distract yourself or children as it can cause menacing results
- Be calm and don’t surge while walking on the street
- Never allow them to close the vehicle doors abruptly and guide them to shut the door only with the driver’s authority
- Do not permit them to play either in the bus bay or on the roads
