“Safety First” is “Safety Always.” ~Charles M. Hayes.“Safety is more important than convenience”- Don Hambidge . This proverbs means a lot in giving the value and importance of road safety rules to teach children.
In this article, we will focus on the basic and the foremost important road safety rules for kids that they need to have an awareness of. Overall we will have a glance at how to teach road safety rules to kids.
Importance Of Road Safety For Children:
There is a promising need to teach the value and importance of road safety rules to teach children as it is part of their physical safety and well-being as they grow and become independent.
The children should know the safety rules on the road as they don’t have the maturity level to know what to do and what not to do while they are traveling on roads.
The awareness of safety rules on the road keeps the kids away and protected from injuries and hurt while they are walking on roads.
Road Accident Statistic In India:
- According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report for 2014, 3% of the people who died due to road accidents were Children. (R)
- In that study, 480 kids were injured every day due to road accidents in the same year.
- In one of the study, it is found that 4,884 pedestrians who were killed in road accidents, were 207 kids.
- The total number of road accidents in the country was 5,01,423. out of which 1,46,133 were killed while 5,00,279 were injured.
- Out of 1,46,133 people killed 5937 were in the age group of 0-14, while 48,420 were in the age group of 15-24.
- Tamil Nadu is the first most state in India whose total number of road accident is 69.059.
- Mumbai had the highest number of road accidents is 23 468 while in Delhi had the highest number of death 1622 all due to a road accident.
10 Road Safety Rules For Kids:
1. Aware Of Road Signals:
One of the way to teach road safety for kids is to keep them aware of the traffic lights and signals. The traffic color speak out such as-
It consists of three colors i.e green, yellow, red.
- A green light indicates for “go”- Whenever the signal turns green, the vehicle can go ahead
- A red light indicates “to stop”- the vehicles have to stop when the red light is on
- A yellow light indicates for “to slow down”- When the yellow light turns on, slow down your vehicle and prepare to stop
- “Walking man” or “walk” signal at intersections are designed or constructed for the pedestrians. Cross the road only when the signal turns green. Check there are no vehicles, both on the left and right side of the road before crossing the road.
- Never ever cross the road, if the signboard signifies “Don’t walk” or the walking symbol turns red
2. Stop, Look and Cross:
The children have to walk to school or to the bus stop etc. They have to cross the street once after the school bus drops them off. Hence, its parents who have to undertake the responsibility in order to provide adequate guidance for crossing the road cautiously and guiding the safety rules on road.
Teach the kids various about road signs and recommend them to utilize the zebra crossing while crossing the road. If there are no markings or signs, then they should follow certain procedures that can be worthwhile:
- Check the right side, after that to the left side of the road for the incoming vehicles
- If you find any of the vehicles is approaching, wait for the vehicle to pass and then ask your kids to safely cross the road
- Do not cross the road at the turns, it is too unsafe
- Never cross the road between the stopped vehicles
The parents should come or accommodate for the children aged below 6 years and you should compulsorily hold their hands while crossing the road.
3. Avoid Running On Roads:
Running on the roads is a big no for kids. Children get impatient when they see open spaces are tries to run and let go of the hands of their parents. They become inpatients on the street or road.
Running on the street can cause them serious damage to their to your kids so, the parents should strictly teach their kids to not run on the roads and should impart the road safety rules in the child.
Set some hard and fast rules for them or tell your kids that if they run on the streets they will get less time to play. Adopting such strict ways can protect your child from harmful sistution.
4. Pay Attention-Listen:
Communicate the kids to be extra vigilant while they cross the road at the turns. For this listening or pay attention can only aid them. Instruct your child to listen and ensure whether a vehicle is approaching or not with the other side.
Vehicles applying horns at turns and at unmanned intersections to provide a warning to other road users. You can interpret these instances to your child:
- If the horn is heard, then stop and cross only after ensuring that no vehicle approaches you from the left or right side of the road
- Teach them to keenly heed the vehicle engine sounds close-by. So that they are away from you and if the sound is loud, it is nearing you.
5. Staying Safe On A Bicycle:
If your kids are older enough to rides bike to school or around the place then make sure he is aware of certain rules and regulation about cycling rules to stay safe on the road.
- Wear a helmet while riding a bike.
- Check the working condition of your bicycle before using it such as for its breaks and light etc.
- Always use the bicycle lane.
- Ride the bike on the extreme right or left side of the road and move along with traffic signs and signals.
- Give way for larger and faster vehicles behind you or around you.
- Always use light in areas with poor visibility and at night.
- Do not allow kids to ride a cycle on busy streets without your supervision.
6. Stay Safe In A Moving Vehicle:
In a moving vehicle, just ensure the kid’s safety with the assistance of a seat belt. Follow these safety rules in your absence:
- Don’t 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.
7. Always Get Out At The Curb Side:
If the kid takes the school bus every day then help them to remember these safety rules on the road.
- Start early and be on time to avoid running for the bus.
- Always stand in the queue when boarding and alighting the bus.
- Always get off the curbside when getting off a car or the bus to prevent being an obstruction to the other vehicles on the road.
8. Be Visible Stay Safe:
Safety is a key consideration for everyone no matter it is kids or adults. So it is advised to not to wear back especially during night times. Thus the kids can be seen or noticed by drivers. Follow these procedures as mention
- Make a habit that the kid wears reflective materials or light colored attires while strolling or cycling at night.
- Wear bright colored clothes during the daytime to kids.
- Wave towards the incoming vehicle to indicate your presence on the road, if possible to some extent.
9. Don’t Rush:
Kids often get excited and rush inroads in order to attempt to get to a place or meet someone or other than that. This can lead to a more problematic situation around the kids. Teach your kids a few safety rules on road-
- Ask your kids not to rush when getting into or off a vehicle as it can lead to injury or damage.
- Don’t get distracted or suddenly drag the parent or guardian in a particular direction as this can throw the adult off guard.
- When walking on the street stay calm and don’t rush.
- Don’t open the car doors suddenly when you stop your vehicles, open the doors only after you say so.
- Do not play in the bus bay or on the roads.
10. Cross the Road at the Zebra Crossings Only:
This is one of the basic and foremost Important road safety rules for kids.kids should not crossroad at all place The kids should cross the road at a zebra crossing only. Intersections and zebra crossings are specifically determined areas where pedestrians can cross a road.
By using a zebra crossing, the kids will get into the habit of opting the right way to cross a street and keep themselves away from getting injuries and accident. The plus point to cross the road at the zebra crossing is that there could also be a traffic cop around to keep an eye on your tots, so you better teach them right road safety rules to children.
11. Always Hold Hands when crossing the Street:
When your kids are too young to cross the street by themselves, then ask them to hold the hands of their parents, older siblings, or guardian while crossing a road. They should always hold hands while crossing the street. The thought of kids crossing a road on their own makes any parent anxious, so it’s better to ensure that they do so under adult supervision.
12. Never Cross The Road At Bends:
Bends are evidently the blind spot for motorists while driving. When you attempt to cross at bends, the driver will be unable to recognize you and stop the car at the right time and at right place. As a result, kids will be hurt while crossing at bends.
Road Safety Activities For Kids
One of the best ways to teach your kids regarding any aspects is through play and activities. Here are a few road safety activities can help your child to learn about road safety rules.
- Have a discussion – Present a scenario in front of your kids and ask them what they should do under that hypothetical situation or scenario you have presented before them. For example, ask your kids suppose “You are playing, and your ball rolls into the middle of the road. What would you do?” Or, you can ask “You are getting late to school, so you should run to the school bus bay, correct?” and see what the answer to it.
- Draw or paint –Help them to remember better by making them draw or paint road, traffic signs, etc.
- Create a fun road safety song – if you can create a fun road safety song or ramp with the signs and what the signs mean with your kids.
- Crosswords- these are excellent learning tools or activities for older kids in order to teach the important road safety rules to teach children. You can find road safety education crosswords for kids online too, that really helps a lot in guiding the safety rules on road.
- Play a guessing game – play noises or sounds that the kids likely to hear on the street and ask them what it is all about.
- Use activity sheets – to learn kids about road safety. You can download road safety education worksheets for different age groups on the internet and help them in guiding the road safety for kids.
Hope this article has provided a good number of information on how to teach road safety rules to kids. It is very much important elements for the parents to play a crucial role in giving the light upon the value to teach about the safety rules on road in order to protect the kids from injuries and harms.
