Over the last few weeks I have heard of a number of traffic incidents involving young people. Tragically, in a couple of cases there were fatalities.
It just got me thinking about road safety and what we can do to help our children as they grow up.
As our children turn into young adults we can’t be there all the time and we do have to learn to let go.
One of things I have promised my son is that we will do some night bike riding; or at least after dark with the new lights he was given for Christmas.
We do cross the road together and sometimes I do ask the children to tell me when it’s safe to go. Plus as we on a quiet street and there are other children around, when the weather is better we do let them play on the pavement. I do think I pretty much every time remind them to look out for both cars and other people.
The Year 6’s in our primary school do a bike ability course (which was called cycling proficiency back in my school days). The objective is the same; to teach safe road cycling, which is great.
I have stood my children behind a parked MPV to show them that no matter how many times a driver checked they are not above the height of the back window and the driver would not see them.
When we walk home from an after school activity in the dark we look at our coats to see how well we can see them….usually not well and we discuss how we are difficult for drivers to see. Sometimes we go out in the dark with our torches so the children get used to walking in the dark. One highlight in the autumn is to walk to the next village to see the fireworks and, of course, in November it is dark.
Another skill to teach them is when a driver stops to allow you to cross a road, often at a junction, you still must look both ways to check nothing is coming. In the same way I am sure my kids will tell you the number of times I have called other drivers or cyclists, even pedestrians when they overtake and they can’t see properly or they wave you on and you can’t see either…drives me mad!!
We don’t want to scare our children but it is our responsibility to teach them these things and accidents can happen within seconds.
What do you do to teach your child road safety?
Beckie Whitehouse
Beckie is a mum to three kids, and works in the Cambridge area as a coach.Feel free to get in contact for a no obligation discussion.