Five road-safety rules every child should know before starting school

As the new school year approaches, parents are being urged to teach children a simple but firm lesson: never assume a driver has seen you. A vehicle may be approaching a marked crossing, but the driver could still be tired, distracted or using a phone.

The guidance recommends that children stop, look and listen before crossing. They should wait until vehicles have stopped, or until they are sure the driver has seen them. One practical rule is to begin crossing only when the vehicle’s wheels are no longer turning.

Children should also walk across the road rather than run, and always use a visible, marked crossing. The advice is especially relevant for children starting school, as well as those entering second grade, when parents often begin allowing them to walk to school alone.

Traffic rules are best learned gradually through conversation, games, observation and repeated practice on the actual route to school. However, knowing the rules does not automatically mean a child is ready to travel alone. Parents must also consider the child’s maturity, behavior in real traffic and the difficulty of the route.