All parents know that keeping their children safe doesn’t come without it’s challenges. Parents are responsible for their safety at home, while teachers take over at the school. There is a place where those thoughts overlap and that is about the safety of children on the road? Although we try to watch over them every waking second of every day, children need to know the road safety rules. 1
Awareness of safety rules
Naturally children don’t have the same reasoning capacity and experience as adults when walking along the road. It’s our job as adults to teach our children what they need to know about road safety and what to do on the road to avoid dangerous or fatal situations. If your child is allowed to walk out of your home onto or near a road, they need to be thoroughly acquainted with the rules about road safety. The important part about teaching them is to tell and show – practise with them, and make it interesting and fun, making sure that they fully understand. 1
Stay on the pavement
The first rule is to teach your children to stay on the pavement unless they are together with an adult. Added to that, children should also not walk on the side of the pavement that is closest to the road. Adults must hold hands with kids when walking with them, as they can be energetic and spontaneous and they could run into the road at any time. Likewise, teach children that it’s important to look out for cyclists and pedestrians. 1
Understanding traffic signals and road signs
The second rule is to teach them about the different colours of a traffic light: for example: ‘green’ means that traffic is allowed to go, while ‘red’ means traffic must stop. The colour ‘amber’ (or orange) means that cars must slow down and prepare to stop. It’s good to teach them about pedestrian crossing at robots: if there is a symbol of a walking man, they can only walk if the man turns ‘green’ and, most importantly, only after making sure that there is no traffic coming toward them. 1
What to do when crossing a road
Next, teach your children where they can cross the road safely. Kids are excitable and can run across the road at any point they choose. To minimise this idea, teach them that they must cross the road using a pedestrian crossing when available. Show them what a pedestrian crossing (or zebra crossing) looks like so that they are able to recognise it. If a zebra crossing is not available, children must look to the right, then to the left and right again, before crossing a road. Teach them that they may only cross a road after it is all clear. It’s vitally important to teach them that they must never cross a street by entering between parked cars and never at a corner. 1
Only walk, never run
Kids are full of energy and tend to run everywhere. It’s never too early to teach them that they must only walk, and never run, when using a pavement or when crossing a road, even when in the company of an adult. 1
Awareness of the world around them
Children are easily distracted, so it’s a great idea to educate them why it’s important to be alert to their surroundings. This vigilance does not only apply to cars but also to any possible criminals that could be stalking them. As a result, do not allow them to wear earphones or use their cell phones unless it’s an emergency. 1
Disclaimer
The above article is meant to give general information to help you understand the different characteristics of car insurance and safety in and around cars and the roads on which we drive.
You’ll take great care to protect your precious little children, but what about your vehicles? Is your car cover adequate? If not, or you require more information, contact PMD and learn more about their world-class service and affordable car insurance with convenient benefits such as fixed premiums* and a reduce-to-zero excess*. T’s and C’s apply.
As with all financial services products, first consult a certified financial advisor to make sure the product is right for you.
Source:
1 https://www.beam-e.com/newsletter/important-road-safety-rules-kids-know/
This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to, or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.