Road safety tips
Expert advice for protecting your family.
Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death in children and adolescents aged 5-19 years worldwide. Tragically, many of these deaths were preventable. Here are some ways your family can stay safe while out and about.
Road safety tips for younger children
It’s never too early to start teaching your children about road safety. Here are some road rules to help little ones keep safety top of mind.
1. Traffic is dangerous
Explain to your little one that while cars on the road may be fun to look at, it’s important to keep a safe distance. Try taking your child outside and talking to them about it while you watch cars together. Teach your child that cars have the right of way on the road and cannot see children well due their smaller size.
2. Never go near the road without an adult and always hold hands
Children under 7 years should never go near the road alone and should be on the side of you away from the traffic. Try making up a song or game to remind your little one to hold your hand before crossing the street.
3. Stop, look and listen before crossing the road
Practice on a quiet road together and model the importance of stopping, looking both ways and listening for oncoming traffic before crossing the road the next time you cross together. Even when there is no traffic, it is important to repeat this behaviour.
>> Jump to: How to cross the road safely in 5 steps
4. Wear bright colours
Explain to your little one that bright and reflective clothing helps them to be seen by others in darker lighting or bad weather. To make it fun for them, ask them about their favourite piece of bright clothing or their favourite colour that they could wear the next time you need to go out when there is poor visibility.
5. Practice driveway safety
Road safety is important to practice at home too, as driveways can often be the source of tragic injuries for children. Teach your little ones about the dangers of driveways at home and when out walking, and make sure to look around for your child when entering or leaving your driveway.
When can my child cross the road alone?
All children are different and show different levels of independence at different ages. Letting them cross the road independently can be a tough decision, as you will need to consider their development and what the roads are like where you live. Children are not ready to navigate roads alone until they are fully aware of road safety rules and can put them into practice. They should also be able to judge how fast traffic is moving and how far away it is, so they are able to cross the road safely.
Be a smart cycler
Teach your children to ride their bicycle with traffic, use appropriate hand signals, wear a well-fitting helmet, use bicycle lanes where available, and ensure that their bicycle has working brakes, a reflector and a light.
Road safety tips for teens
Teens are driven to seek more thrills than children and adults. While this is a natural part of their development, it can lead to more dangerous risk taking. Talk to your teen about these safety tips to help them make smart choices when you are not around to supervise.
1. Be alert and watch out for hazards
As tempting as it may be to look at a phone, wear headphones or chat with friends while crossing the street, always pay complete attention. Stop whatever you are doing, look both ways and listen for oncoming traffic.
2. Don’t take risks around roads
Games involving busy streets like throwing a ball around in the road or running in front of cars are extremely dangerous.
3. Avoid peer pressure
Your friends may want to engage in unsafe behaviours while near the road, but it is important for your safety to say no.
Road safety tips for children with disabilities
You know your child and their environment best. As you teach your child about road safety, consider any additional needs they might have. For example:
- Children with hearing impairments may not hear the noise of traffic – horns, cars, motorbikes etc – so teach them to watch for traffic very carefully.
- Children with autism, behavioural and intellectual disabilities may like to wander and often have a reduced sense of danger. They might walk or run into the road, onto railway tracks or near water. As one precaution, make sure to alert your neighbours and others in your local community of this possibility.
How to cross the road safely in 5 steps
1. Find a safe place to cross
Make sure you can see in all directions and that drivers can see you, too. If there is a designated crossing area, use it and explain to your child how they work.
2. Stop
Leave a safe amount of distance between yourself and the road.
3. Look both ways
Make sure to take your time looking around for any oncoming traffic. If traffic is coming, let it pass. Children are not able to judge speed as well as adults.
4. Listen
Sometimes you can hear traffic before you can see it.
5. Safely cross
Go straight across and don’t run. Only go when there is enough time and continue to look and listen as you go. Look out for cyclists and quieter vehicles, as you may not hear them approaching and never use a mobile phone or other device while crossing.
Take action for road safety
By speaking to your local officials, your child's school and community groups about road safety you can raise awareness about effective measures that help reduce injuries and save lives. These include:
- Enact and enforce legislation to keep urban traffic speeds on residential streets and on school routes where traffic and children come into direct contact below 30 km/h.
- Separate vulnerable road users by providing walking paths for pedestrians and bicycle lanes for cyclists.
- Incorporate road safety education with practical on-road training into the primary and secondary school curriculum.
