Children’s Road Safety 101

Here are the most common ways children endanger themselves in traffic and how to prevent them from happening:

• A child who runs out into the street on the corner or in the middle of the block. These types of accidents usually happen in neighborhoods where children play. A ball can bounce on the street and a child chases after it. It is important to teach children that before retrieving a ball or any object from the fairway, they should ask an adult for help.
• Vehicle turning into the path of a child. Children often think that a green light or a WALK signal means that there is no danger. Teach your child to be responsible and cautious no matter what signs or signals say.
• Child hidden from view by an ice cream truck. When an ice cream truck drives by, anxious and excited kids can forget about the traffic and run out into the street. Teach your child never to run outside, no matter the circumstances.
• The child hidden from view by a bus/driver does not stop. Every state requires traffic in both directions to stop on undivided highways when students are entering or exiting a school bus. Children who must cross the street after exiting the bus should be taught to walk to the edge of the bus, look left, right, and left, and cross when the way is clear and the bus driver has signaled that it is safe to cross.
• Vehicle backing up on highways, driveways, or parking lots. It is important to teach children to make sure no one is in the driver’s seat and to look for illuminated reversing lights before walking between parked cars. They should treat driveways like other intersections and stop at the curb, then look LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT to see if there are cars entering or exiting the driveway.

Parents and caregivers of preschool children

You probably know that preschoolers are quick and often unaware of danger. Each year, too many children are injured or killed when they suddenly run into the paths of cars. This may seem obvious, but did you know that most preschoolers are injured close to home, on their own streets or driveways, and that most traffic accidents involving children in preschool age occur when the weather is nice?

Here’s how you can prevent these tragedies:

• Children must be supervised at all times.
• Children should NEVER be allowed to cross the street alone.
• When crossing the street ALWAYS hold your child’s hand.
• Don’t let your driveway become a playground. If you allow children in this area, only allow them to play there when no vehicles are present.
• To further protect children playing in your driveway, separate your driveway from the road with a barrier to prevent cars from entering.
• Make sure your children are properly supervised at all times, especially when near moving vehicles.
• Teach children to NEVER play in, around or under vehicles, ever.
• Teach by explaining and be a role model.
• Show your child the safe way to cross a street. Say, “When I cross a street, I always stop at the curb. I look and listen for cars. I look to the left for traffic, and then look to the right for traffic coming that way. left again if there is traffic. When he’s clear I go across the street and keep looking left and right and listening for cars coming.”
• You can also explain how to look for and listen for vehicles where they may be backing up (out of a driveway, parking lot, on the street, etc.). Say, “Sometimes I can hear trucks backing up because they make a loud beeping sound to warn me. I can also look for a car or truck that is backing up, and I can look and see white lights on the back of the car that tell me the driver is preparing to move backwards or is going backwards”.
• Point out to your child when you see others using safe pedestrian behavior and unsafe pedestrian behavior. This reinforces her message and is also helpful for visual learners.
• Always practice safe behavior. As an adult, her son watches and imitates her actions. He or she thinks that if you do the behavior, it must be right.

When walking, always:

• Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available.
• Walk facing traffic if a sidewalk is not available.

When crossing the street, always:

• Cross a corner or crosswalk with the signal to walk.
• Pull over to the curb.
• Exaggeratedly look LEFT-RIGHT-LEFT for traffic in all directions before and while crossing the street.
• Explain that you are not looking for traffic or that traffic has stopped before you can cross safely.
• Cross when it’s clear.
• Hold your child’s hand when crossing the street.
• Keep looking for cars as you cross.
• As the two of you safely cross the street together, praise the child for copying your safe actions or words.
• Always practice what you teach.