A Safe Walk to School

When your kids head out the door for school, you want them to have the safety savvy to handle this big step. They need a certain level of independence as they begin their school year, but before we turn them loose to walk to school or the bus stop, it's time to review some back-to-school safety tips. 

Before parents make decisions about what level of independence is appropriate for their children, it is important to understand their developmental limitations. Parents tend to think their children have better reasoning capabilities than they actually do. The fact is children do not have the ability to assess traffic risk and safety until approximately ten years of age. Children often act before they think about a situation or assume a driver can see them just because the child can see the driver. They cannot judge the speed of a moving vehicle, nor do they understand that a car cannot stop instantly. This is particularly true of boys, who tend to engage in riskier behavior than girls and are therefore more likely than girls to be injured or killed in traffic accidents.

InstantAmber offers the following tips for crossing the street safely.       

Review them with your children.

• Always cross the street with an adult.
• No Jaywalking!  Always use the crosswalk and cross at intersections where there is a signal if one is available.  If there isn’t a crosswalk, cross at a corner and not in the middle of the block.
• Never assume a driver will stop for you if you are at a cross walk.  Although it is the law, sometimes drivers ignore the rules or are inattentive.  Always make eye contact with the driver and make sure he sees you.
• If there is a crossing guard, wait for him or her to signal that it is okay for you to cross.
• Look both ways before crossing the street and don’t cross if there are any obstructions to your clear view of the street on both sides. 
• Always watch for turning vehicles before you enter a crosswalk.
• Never cross the street between parked vehicles.

Practice these tips with your children when you walk them to school or to the bus stop.  Your child will model your behavior, so make sure you follow the rules too!

Click here to learn more about InstantAmber and other family safety services offered by PrepareWell.