Information on Road Safety

Advisory on Road safety for Parents

Parents should set a good example to ensure children remain safe and develop road and traffic awareness. Parents are advised to follow these simple guide when crossing the road with their child.

On the pavement

When walking near a road it is a good to:

• hold your child’s hand – don’t let them run ahead.

• look out for and be aware of hidden entrances or driveways crossing the pavement.

• make sure your child walks on the side of the pavement away from the traffic.

Crossing the road

When crossing the road, remember to:

• tell your child that it’s safest to cross at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights.

• tell your child not to cross where they can’t see far along the road.

• explain that they should not try to cross a road between parked cars; drivers won’t be able to see them very well and the cars might start moving.

• when it’s safe to cross, walk straight across the road and keep looking and listening out for traffic.

• remind your children to concentrate – they may be easily distracted, forget what they have been taught and dash out into the road.

Pedestrian crossings

Pedestrian crossings are safe, but they can still be dangerous for children if they don’t take care. Remember to:

• explain that pedestrians have to wait on the pavement until all the traffic coming from both directions has stopped – only then it is safe to cross.

• explain that if there is an island in the middle of the road, your child should treat each half of the crossing as a separate crossing.

• tell your child it’s important to keep looking and listening while crossing, in case a driver has not seen them.

• warn your child to watch for cyclists or motorcyclists who might not have seen them.

• always use a pedestrian-crosing or light-controlled crossing.