Teaching Children to Be Safe on the Road Around Traffic

Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe on the Road

Children learn by experience. As their parent or guardian, it is your job to teach your kids how to be safe around traffic. Road safety skills are best learned in the natural traffic environment, and adult interaction helps them learn.

Young kids need a lot of help handling the risks associated with road use. They need your help with detecting the presence of traffic and judging the distance and speed of oncoming traffic. You can help by talking with your child as you walk. Point out traffic, signs, and signals you see on the road. You can also explain when, where, or how to cross the street safely. As children grow and develop, they will become more aware of handling their own safety and be safer on the road.

Below are some tips to keep children of all ages safe around traffic in your neighborhood.

Road Safety for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Toddlers and preschoolers need constant adult supervision when they are outside. They should not be allowed near or on the street by themselves. It is important to:

• Hold your child’s hand when you are near cars.
• Explain what you are doing when you are crossing the street.
• Involve your child in choosing safe places to play.
• Move your child’s play areas away from the driveway.
• Teach your children not to play in a driveway behind a parked car.

Your child still needs assistance and adult supervision in the traffic environment. It is essential to:

• Teach them about signs and traffic lights.
• Identify places where it is safe to cross the road.
• Teach your child how to cross roads using the “stop, look, listen, and think” process. Stop at the curb, look and listen for traffic, then decide if it is safe to cross.
• Before crossing, look to the left, to the right, and then to the left again.
• Walk your child to school along the safest paths and use crosswalks.
• Teach them to stop at the curb or edge of the road before crossing and never run into the street.
• Tell them to obey the traffic signals and signs. Keep looking while crossing the street.
• Teach them not to go between parked cars to cross the street.

Road Safety for Children Ages 10 and 13

Children between ages 10 and 13 can independently manage traffic more safely. But it all depends on how much practice they have had in the natural traffic environment. It is essential to:

• Continue reinforcing the “stop, look, listen, and think” process.
• Go for regular walks or rides together and explain road and traffic laws.
• Plan with your child safe routes to school and places they often visit.
• Make sure they wear bright colors that motorists can easily see.

 Road Safety for Teens 14 and Older

Teenagers face greater risks on the street and are more likely to be injured or killed in a road accident than any other age group. Headphones, handheld gadgets, and cell phones are causing teens to be more easily distracted. Keep your teen safe on the road with these tips:

• Always be aware of their surroundings.
• Do not be distracted by texting and talking on the phone or chatting with friends while walking.
• Walk facing traffic and if there are no sidewalks, stay to the left.
• Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
• Watch out for cars that are backing up or turning.
• When walking at night, wear bright-colored clothes that can be easily seen. Apply reflective material or tape to the clothes for added visibility.

Last but not least, it’s always important to be a good role model for your child by obeying road rules, wearing your own seatbelt, driving courteously, and crossing roads safely.

Watch YouTube Video: Road Safety Video | Traffic Rules and Signs for Kids. The short animated video below discusses road safety and traffic rules for kids.