“Red means stop, and green means go.” That’s at least what kindergartners learn from those picture books on basic traffic rules. But in practice, the road is not always by the book. According to the Allianz Center for Technology, 27 percent of road fatalities in the EU were pedestrians or bicyclists, with bicycles as the most dangerous way to travel to school. According to the World Health Organization, in some non-European countries, this number is even higher, because non-motorized road users are inadequately protected.
Unprotected on the way to school
Children are doubly vulnerable: First, because they’re smaller they are often overlooked by drivers. Second, at their young age, they are slower to see dangers than adults. The situation is especially perilous at crosswalks. In 2011, 11,000 pedestrians under 14 were injured in traffic accidents in the United States alone, which shows that drivers are not always quick with the brakes. Also, children do not always automatically have the right of way. Laws vary, sometimes even from city to city, and drivers do not always follow the rules anyway. In any case: It is better to be safe than sorry.
Unexpected spontaneous reactions
Time and again, their small size puts children in special danger in city traffic. They have trouble seeing over and around vehicles, especially trucks and SUVs, and they are often only noticed by motorists at the very last moment. So when you’re near a school: Keep your eyes open and your foot off the gas and be ready to brake.
“Little children can’t estimate the speed of oncoming cars and other imminent dangers the same way adults can,” says Xaver Wölfl from Allianz Austria. “If there are kids out on the street, you have to always be prepared for unexpected spontaneous reactions.”
Practicing – and being a role model
Parents of children starting school should walk to school together with their children several times to make them aware of the dangers that might come up along the way. What is most important here is the role model effect of the parents, who should also point out to their children when other pedestrians do something wrong.
Many adults have a rather lax view of road safety. Even though adults know better, when they walk to school with children, they often lead them through dangerous or confusing situations or even cross the street on a red light. Children take these cues and often make life-threatening decisions in busy traffic.
“Instructional videos and textbook theory are not everything. The exemplary behavior of parents is essential to prepare the first-grader for a safe start to school life,” says Wölfl.
