If you grew up near your school, you probably walked it to and fro every day. There were far fewer cars on the road than there are now. Therefore it was quieter, it was much safer for children to walk on their own. However, nowadays when there are almost half as many cars as there are people, it's a whole new ballgame. Now children have to be taught right from a young age what road safety is all about. Added to this, is the fact that all-electric cars are now starting to come online. This means that cars will now be relying more so on sensors than actual drivers at the wheels using their situational awareness and eyesight. This is the future, so parents need to begin to explain road safety to their children even before they begin to walk. Toddlers and young children need to know and follow a clear plan which they can use when they’ve grown older and walk to school on their own too.
The classic stop method
It takes a while in society, for any kind of universal method to be developed. The stop method has been adopted by almost every single modern nation in the world. It's simple to remember and children can easily use it without adult supervision. The S is for literally stopping at a crossing. The T is to think, calculating in their mind whether they can hear a car approaching, what the situation is i.e. is it a busy road or are there traffic lights? The O is for observing, looking both ways and predicting if and or when any oncoming vehicles will turn into the road from the main road. And finally, the P stands for pass, i.e. crossing the road in one fell swoop. Don’t dither and go back if you have dropped something, make a clean crossing to the other end without stopping.
Suspicious activity
Children need to be careful who they speak to when they’re walking to school and home. Sometimes, criminals that want to abuse and or abduct children will use the opportunity of a crossing to quickly approach a child and communicate with them. They might do this because they can just as easily speed away without any suspicions being aroused. From the outside, they will look as if they’re just asking directions. This is why the final part of the stop method is so important. Passing the crossing without stopping means your children will be out of harm’s way in many different ways.
Record their incident
Children walking to school can be dangerous because some drivers tend to speed through school zones. If your child is struck by a car, they need to act quickly and try to record the incident using their mobile. This can be used as evidence when you contact a Best Personal Injury Attorney who can deal with car accidents involving pedestrians too. They will build a case using all the evidence such as CCTV at the scene.
It's very simple to teach your children about road safety using the stop system. It's easy to remember and it will keep your children alert while out and about.
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