Road Safety
- Road accidents are the major cause of death and injury for young children in Australia. Walking, cycling, playing near traffic and travelling in motor vehicles are all hazardous activities for young children. While motor vehicle accidents are the greatest contributor to high rates of injury and mortality, pedestrian and bicycle accidents can cripple children for life.
- Children need to be taught proper road safety but it is important that parents and carers do not overestimate the level of skill and understanding that young children can be expected to have. For young children road safety is first and foremost a responsibility of parents and carers.
- There are however strategies that parents can put into place to help children develop the skills they need and so ultimately reduce the kinds of tragedies that can and unfortunately do occur.
Being a passenger in a motor vehicle
- It is important for children to be protected in a motor-vehicle from their very first journey. They need to buckle-up from day one of their motor-vehicle lives. This is essential. Babies in their first year should be placed in rear-facing capsules for this provides the cushioning support and security that gives the best protection in an accident. Parents may feel tempted during this first year to turn children around so that they can see their parent in the rear view mirror. For two reasons this is not recommended. Firstly, it moves the attention of the parent away from the road to the child, and more importantly, the child is more protected if facing towards the rear seat.
- Children after their first year can face forward in the seat until about four years of age or over 20kg. After that, a booster seat to the age of about 8 years old is required. Children should not ever be allowed to ride in the front seat until over the age of 12. There are a number of reasons for this. The child is in jeopardy of being harmed by the air-bag deployment, or being catapulted through the window. The rear seat is safest for all passengers including children. This is a general recommendation , so check with your state regarding specific requirements
- Never leave children in an unattended vehicle. It is easy to think children can safely be left in a car while a parent or carer undertakes a brief errand but of course this is not the case. In summer closed cars can reach high temperatures in a very short time, children can get out of their car restraints and let the handbrake off, they can even find matches or in older cars, cigarette lighters and start fires!
- Children need to learn that riotous behaviour is not permitted while travelling in a motor vehicle. Adults have a responsibility here to provide children with a range of activities they can do and enjoy and with safety. So CDs, books and some toys can be made available. Children and adults can play simple games. On longer journeys children need to be provided with opportunities for toilet breaks, food and drink and simply to stretch their legs.
Children’s understanding of road safety
- Children’s understanding of road safety behaviour develops slowly. It is not until they are 10 or 12 that they have the ability to handle dangerous situations and even then their abilities cannot be taken for granted. They are still likely to act on impulse with the dangers inherent in such behaviour. Parents and carers need to practise anticipatory supervision as they help children acquire the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe on the roads.
- Children need to understand that whether they are passengers in a motor vehicle, pedestrians or riding a bicycle they need to follow road safety rules and procedures. Pedestrians and cyclists need to stop at all intersections, and everyone needs to understand traffic signs and watch for signals. Parents and carers are the primary teachers here
Child pedestrians
- The dangers for child pedestrians can begin in their own homes so another responsibility for adults is the care that needs to be taken when backing out of driveways. Before doing so they need to ensure that children are not in danger of being run over. This requires more than looking around. The whereabouts of children needs to be established so the driver can be sure they are safe.
- Children should always be required to hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road until the age of 7-8 whether they want to or not! Drivers may not even see a small child crossing the road. Furthermore children cannot estimate the speed of an approaching car. If crossing alone they may feel the car is far enough away to give them time to cross safely whereas that may not be the case. They may see their mother across the road and want to get to her. The fourth reason relates to a child’s inability to recognise and react to a dangerous situation or even to respond in time to an adult’s verbal instruction. Physical redirection is the quickest way to avoid a hazard.
Riding a bicycle
- When children begin to ride bicycles there is even more to learn if they are to ride a bike safely. They need to understand and follow some basic rules such as always wearing a helmet, indicating the direction during turns, never riding at dusk or after dark, and obeying all road and traffic signs.
- Children should also be taught that vehicles are likely to back out of any driveway that they are crossing and that if riding on the footpath they need to be aware that pedestrians can move very quickly and a collision is like to occur.
- Some road safety experts have suggested that it is not until a child is 12 that they are really able to make the sorts of quick decisions that riding in traffic demands. Anticipatory supervision with bicycles is certainly challenging for parents.
