Why young children need help with roads
Young children find traffic genuinely hard: they're small, so drivers can't always see them and they can't see over parked cars, and judging how fast a car is coming takes years to learn. That's why they need a grown-up's hand near roads, and why practising good habits early matters.
Teach a simple routine
A short routine that's the same every time is easy to remember. Many road safety campaigns use a version of this:
- Stop at the edge of the pavement (the curb), a step back from the road.
- Look all around for traffic, and listen too.
- Wait until there's no traffic coming, or it has stopped.
- Keep looking and listening while you cross, and walk, don't run.
Choose safe places to cross
Show your child the safest places to cross: pedestrian crossings and traffic lights, where they wait for the green figure. Explain why crossing between parked cars or near a bend is dangerous: drivers can't see you, and you can't see them.
Practise on everyday walks
Every walk to school or the shops is a chance to practise. Talk through what you're doing as you cross: "We're stopping at the curb. Now let's look both ways. Is anything coming?" As children get older, let them tell you when they think it's safe, while you still decide.
Be a good example
Children copy what they see. Crossing at the proper places, waiting for the green figure and putting your phone away near roads teach more than any rule.
Practise in a game
A game is a safe place to rehearse the routine. In Wizzy Crossing, children walk around a little city, stop at the curb, look left and right and cross at the crosswalk, earning points for every safe crossing. Play it together, then try the same steps on your next walk.
Games are a fun extra, never a replacement for practising with a grown-up beside real roads.
