Child pedestrian safety

Parents and carers play a vital part in teaching children how to cross the road safely. When you cross the road, don’t take risks – children will copy you.

Stop, look, listen and think

Remember to find a safe place to cross, then stop, look, listen and think.

Stop

• Stop just before you get to the kerb

• Do not get too close to the traffic.

• Give yourself lots of time to have a good look all around.

• Remember to choose a place to stop where you can see clearly in all directions, and where drivers can see you ‐ try to avoid crossing between parked cars.

Look

• Look all around for traffic – look right, look left, then look right again

Listen

• Listen carefully, because you can sometimes hear traffic before you can see it.

Think

• Do not cross until there is a safe gap in the traffic, so that you have lots of time to cross the road.

• Always choose a place to cross the road where you can see the traffic coming in both directions – a straight part of the road is good for this

• When it is safe, go straight across the road – do not run

• Keep looking and listening for traffic while you cross

• Look out for cyclists and motorcyclists travelling between lanes of traffic.

Tips for parents when driving a child to school

• Keep the zig-zags clear outside the school

• Think before you park - are you causing a danger to others, especially children?

• All children under 135cm (4' 5") in height (or 12th birthday, whichever they reach first) MUST use the correct child restraint

• If you don't wear your seatbelt, your children will copy you and not wear theirs

More road safety tips (opens in new window)