Teaching your kids about safety should start at home. Parents should guide their children and family through the vital road safety rules and regulations.
In teaching your children to be prudently familiar with these basic safety rules, you must use different styles of teaching and coaching.
Some of the important safety rules that you should teach would consist of the rules mentioned below. They are invaluable and would ensure that your family gets the skills to be a safe pedestrian.
1. Know The Different Traffic Signals
First, in our road safety rules, you must teach your family the traffic signs and lights, and what the colors indicate. They are:
- Green means go: when the traffic signal shows the green color, every vehicle will move ahead.
- Red means stop: when the traffic signal shows the red color, every vehicle will have to stop.
- Yellow means slow down: when the traffic signal turns yellow, every vehicle will have to slow down while preparing to stop.
In every city in the US like Spokane, there is a traffic light found at the intersection.
There would also be an accompanying walking man symbol.
These are meant for pedestrians. So, you should tell your children about this too.
Ensure that they only cross the road when the signs turn green.
Also, don’t forget to look both right and left before you cross. Ensure that no vehicles are approaching. Also, don’t forget to look both right and left before you cross. Ensure that no vehicles are approaching.
But, in case your family member sustained injuries due to a car accident which is of course someone’s negligence then you should file a personal injury claim. An experienced Spokane accident attorney will explain all legal options to you and give you advice on how to proceed with your claim.
2. Use The Sidewalk For Safety
Teach your family to always use the sidewalk when they walk on the road. Walk on the paths yourself and let them follow.
Irrespective of whether it is a busy street or not, always tell them to walk on the sidewalk since it is safer.
When there is no sidewalk, educate them about how this road safety rule works by explaining that walking on the left side of the road facing the oncoming traffic is the proper way of doing it.
3. Stop, Look, And Cross
Children might have to walk to the bus stop or school. They may only cross the street when they are dropped off by the school bus. This road safety rule is important, especially with the absence of guidance.
Even in cases when they don’t, they might have to cross the street to a neighbor’s house or a friend’s. So, irrespective of where they go, you must teach them to be able to safely cross the road.
This can be done by:
- Looking to the left, then to the right, and then back to the left. This ensures that there is no approaching vehicle.
- If there is, tell them to wait till the vehicle passes, then cross the road.
- Never cross between stationary vehicles, or at bends.
For children less than six years old, parents should accompany them while holding their hands as they cross.
4. Never Be In A Rush For Road Safety
Children are always excited. This could lead them to be in a rush to meet someone or get to a place. It can be very dangerous. So, teach your children to:
- Never be in a rush when getting off or on a vehicle since it can be dangerous.
- Never being distracted or dragging their parents in a certain direction since it can throw the parents off guard.
- Always remain calm and do not be in a rush when walking on the street.
- Not play on the road or the bus.
- Not to suddenly open car doors. Children can turn this into a habit if you allow them.
5. Always Pay Attention And Listen
Educate your children about this road safety rule that they might not always see oncoming vehicles. This is very important especially when they stand around bends.
They should always listen to know when a vehicle approaches. Vehicles only use their horn when at unmanned intersections and bends. This helps them indicate that they are close.
So tell your children to:
- Stop and look right or left when they hear a horn. This helps them know if a vehicle is close.
- Listen for nearby engine sounds. This will help them know if there is a moving vehicle. Also explain to them how a loud noise shows that a vehicle is close, while a faint sound means it isn’t close.
6. Pedestrian And Cross-Road Crossing Safety
Children tend to sprint across the street without knowing the implication, this leads to a higher risk of accidents.
It could be a dangerous situation since passing vehicles might not slow down except when there is a crossroad or a signal.
So, tell your children to only cross at intersections and also use pedestrian crossings.
Conclusion
Children represent their environment. So, a parent that respects road safety rules will pass these on to their family. Children must be taught about the responsibility for their safety which includes following traffic signals and general safety pedestrian behavior.
If you find this information helpful, don’t forget to share it with other parents and leave us a comment.
Our super author here at Famous Parenting and an absolute wealth of knowledge. She has studied many topics including creative writing, psychology and journalism but her real passion lies in raising her 3 children. Between working from home, homeschooling her youngest 2 children and navigating the world of teenagers she is a guru for parents.
