Teach Your Kids How To Be Safe Pedestrians

Being a pedestrian can be dangerous. That is especially true if the person walking is a child. Children do not have the same decision-making capabilities as adults and are not able to make quick, potentially life-saving decisions. If you have a young person in your home, teaching them how to be a safe pedestrian involves more than teaching them to look both ways before crossing the street. Here are some things you can teach your child to help keep them safer.

1. Keep Looking

Most parents teach their children to look left, right and then left again before crossing a street. What many do not teach is that a pedestrian should keep looking around them as they walk across a street. Remind your child to keep their head up as they cross and to continuously look to their left and right.

2. Eye Contact

Street signals tell people when it should be safe to cross, but a signal doesn’t know if someone is going to run a red light. Teach your child to make eye contact with drivers before they step into the road. This ensures that the driver has seen your child and understands that they are going to proceed into the crosswalk.

3. No Darting

Teach your child not to dart out between parked cars or other obstacles in the street. If a car is parked too close to a crosswalk, teach your child to walk to the next one that is clear. It may take your child a bit out of their way, but it’s much safer to cross a road where there is nothing blocking the vision of drivers.

4. Put It Down and Keep It Up

Children are connected to cell phones and tablets. Teach your child to keep their phones down and their eyes up when walking.  When your child is distracted, they are less likely to see minor issues like potholes and major issues like cars barreling toward them.

5. Stop and Talk

If your child is walking and absolutely needs to use their phone, teach them to wait until they can stop safely. Your child should find a safe area where they can talk on their phone and only continue walking when they have ended their conversation.

Pedestrians are involved in accidents with vehicles every day. Children of any age are at risk. By taking the time to teach your child how to be a safe and responsible pedestrian, you are reducing their risk of being seriously injured while navigating the streets on foot.

If your child was injured in a pedestrian versus vehicle accident in Charlotte, you have rights. Reach out to our team of experienced car accident attorneys to schedule a free case evaluation and learn more about your legal options. Call our office today to schedule an appointment for a consultation.