Can You Teach Your Child To Be A Safe Pedestrian?

Whether your child is crossing a street, walking along a sidewalk or waiting at a bus stop, he or she is considered a pedestrian. If your child is one of the hundreds of New Jersey children who walk to and from school each day, you may have questioned how you can educate him or her on pedestrian safety.

Safercar.gov has provided a few different suggestions of behaviors you can teach your child to encourage him or her to be a vigilant and safe pedestrian. These include the following:

• Make sure you are seen: Young children often make the assumption that they are seen, and this misconception can be fatal when crossing a road. Remind your child that just because he or she is aware of his or her surroundings and able to see cars does not mean that motorists are equally as aware. Encourage your child to stop, make eye contact with the driver and wait for full clearance before proceeding into the street.
• Walk in groups: Teach your child to walk in a group with friends. Often, motorists are much more likely to notice a group of children crossing the street instead of a single child. You may even consider inviting some neighborhood children over for a fun and informative lesson on pedestrian safety to encourage them to walk in groups.
• Be cautious: Talk to your child about being attentive and fully focused when crossing a street. Practice behaviors like looking both ways, staying inside the crosswalk and using crossing signals when available.

The information in this article has been written for educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal advice.