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Roads represent a great danger to every child, and you must take every precaution possible to prevent accidents. It begins with teaching her basic road sense.
The very young...
If you have a young baby, check that the pram and pushchair are safe.
Make sure brakes are checked regularly so that if the pram is left on a slope, it will not roll into the road. And always fasten your child into the buggy with safety straps.
When you’re out, always make sure you hold your toddler’s hand.
At that age, children are liable to make unexpected dashes into the road no matter how often they have been told to stop at the curb or pavement.
Impress upon your child that the curb is a safety line between her and the traffic. Don’t take chances when crossing a road. Remember that you can’t move very quickly with a small child in tow. It’s very easy to be distracted when crossing a road with a crying or whining child, so be especially careful then.
Keep tabs
Never let a child under five years out on her own. Children between the ages of five and seven can be instructed on quiet roads but don’t let them out alone if you aren’t completely confident in them.
Remember that a small child can’t judge distances as well as an adult. By the age of nine, children should be competent on quiet roads but remember there are no hard and fast rules to follow.
Your child might need lots of encouragement and teaching before she grasps simple road sense.
Playtime should be restricted to somewhere safe away from roads.
Teach your child the Green Cross code and insist they follow it. The six rules are:
• Find a safe place to cross and then stop.
• Stand on the pavement near the crossing.
• Look all round for traffic and listen.
• If traffic is coming let it pass. Look all around again.
• When there is no traffic near, walk straight across the road.
• Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross.
Once your child has absorbed these six main points explain in more detail about safe places to cross such as zebra and pelican crossings, also mentioning footbridges and subways.
Remind her never to cross near parked cars or behind buses. Tell her always to stop on traffic islands and look again.
Going to school
Always take your child to school until she is old enough to go alone. And even then, never send her off on her own without making sure the route is safe and she knows it like the back of her hand.
Strapped in for safety
Each year many children are killed and thousands injured in car accidents. Using a proper seat or carry-cot restraint can prevent many of these accidents.
• According to the law, every one riding in a car must wear a seat belt or child restraint.
• For a very young baby you can choose between a baby seat and a carry-cot with restraints, but increasingly rear-facing baby seats are considered safer because they restrain the baby. The carry-cot restraints only hold the carry-cot secure, not the baby.
• For children between nine months and four years, use a child-safety seat where she is kept restrained and side support is given for sleeping.
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