Family Motoring: Road Safety Tips
Did you know that young people between 11 and 16 are more at risk of being killed or seriously injured as a pedestrian or cyclist than any other age group?
In 2003 21 children aged 0-7 were killed or seriously injured every week on the roads. 26 children aged 8-11 were killed or injured every day on the roads and more than one was killed every fortnight. It's up to us as parents to do as much as we can to teach our children and teenagers road safety.
Do As I Do
Always set a good example: Children copy their parents - and almost three quarters of parents don't always use a zebra crossing when there's one available.
Start Them Young
Start the learning process as early as possible: Explain what traffic is and how to behave with it. Encourage your child to tell you where and when they think it's safest to cross.
Play Is For Playgrounds
Remind your child that it's not safe to play in the road: where possible they should stick to playgrounds, parks or other special areas.
Use Your Head
Make sure your child always wears a helmet when riding a bike: Research shows that helmets can prevent serious head injuries in an accident.
Two Wheels Good
Check that your child's bike is the right size and in good working order: Make sure the front and back lights work, the back reflector is clean and the brakes and tyres are in good order.
Teen Talk
Keep talking to your children about road safety, even as they get older: You might think that kids at senior school know all about road safety, but in fact children aged 11-16 are most at risk of being killed or seriously injured in traffic accidents. So keep talking to them about the dangers.
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