The average passenger vehicle is a 3,000 pound unforgiving beast made of steel. If it were to make contact with your child, it could cause serious injury. Therefore, it is in a parent’s best interest to teach their children how to act in a safe and responsible manner around a vehicle.
Cross the Street Safely
One of the best ways to keep your children safe around cars is to teach them how to cross the street safely. For example, you could teach them to look both ways before crossing or to only use a marked crosswalk. If your children are under the age of 5, you should make sure that they never cross the street without adult supervision. Because over 4,500 people in the United States are killed just by crossing the street, it is very important that you are an example of how to cross the street. Look both ways. Never cross a street while texting. Always be alert. If something ever does happen between your child and another vehicle, make sure to get both the police and an ambulance to the scene promptly. Later on, don’t hesitate to call a legal firm, such as The Jaklitsch Law Group, that specializes in pedestrian incidents.
Wear Reflective Materials
Kids don’t realize how hard it is for a driver to see them after dark. Therefore, parents should teach their kids to wear reflective tape or other reflective materials when they go for a walk, run or bike ride at night. Children may also benefit from carrying a flashlight to ensure that they are visible to others and to ensure that they know where the shoulder is at all times.
Don’t Run Into the Street After a Toy
It may be tempting for a child to run after a ball or another toy that may have rolled into the street. However, that child could easily be hit by a vehicle, and the driver could also be hurt if he or she has to swerve out of the way. Children should be taught to wait, look for approaching vehicles and only retrieve the toy when it is safe to do so.
A child could be susceptible to many safety hazards while riding in a vehicle. Young children should never be in the front seat as an air bag could cause significant injury to those under the age of 12. It may also be worthwhile to keep them in a booster seat until they are tall enough or weigh enough for a traditional seat belt to properly restrain them at all times.
Children should be taught respect for vehicles and the damage that they can do in a collision. Parents should begin this training at an early age and be there to supervise their children if necessary to protect them from serious injury.