Teaching Your Child About Road Safety

Understanding road safety is one of the most important things a child should learn. However, as a parent, knowing where to get started with lessons can be challenging. You want them to be wary of vehicles but not terrified.  

Below, we are going to discuss some different tips and techniques to follow that will definitely come in handy.

Interested in learning more? Let’s get started.

Pedestrian safety

Pedestrian safety refers to how an individual can be safe around vehicles. This could be either in a car park, driveway, or crossing a road. There are three different ways to help teach them about this, which include:

Supervision

As parents, we must carefully supervise our children in any traffic situation. They need to be aware of holding hands and staying close in areas that contain vehicles. Role-modeling also comes into play here. You need to act, think and speak carefully as this will help shape your child’s behavior around roads.

Stop, look, listen and think

The stop, look, listen and think campaign has certainly been one of the most effective messages to teach children. It’s easy to remember and is something that anybody can keep in their mind whenever they approach a road. It stands for the following:

Stop: Stop everything you are doing and focus entirely on crossing the road.

Look: Look both directions (more than once) and observe oncoming traffic.

Listen: Listen out for car sounds. Do you hear anything coming?

Think: Think about whether it is a safe area to cross. Is this a dedicated crossing area?

Road signs and signals

Another important thing you need to teach your child about is the different road signs and signals. This helps them understand what traffic lights mean and where it is safe to cross. These road safety game ideas are a great place to get started.

Passenger safety

Passenger safety is how an individual should react when driving/sitting in a vehicle. Some different ways that you can teach your child about this include:

Getting in and out

Getting in and out of the safest door is something all children need to know to reduce the risk of an accident. It should always be the one that is closest to the curb. You can even get a “safety door” sticker that you can place on the window to help remind them.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a vehicle accident, make sure you contact the right professionals.

Car seats

Having the correct car seat for your child is required by law. However, it’s crucial that they understand why they need to be in one and why seatbelts are essential. If they love their seat, you never have to worry about them unbuckling themselves while you are driving. You can find more information on how to keep your kids safe in the car here.

And that’s it. By following the advice above, you can ensure that your children understand the importance of road safety.