How To Safely Cross the Road with a Group of Children
Did you know?
Children under the age of 16 are among the most vulnerable road users, particularly child pedestrians which account for the majority of child casualties across all road user types. In contrast to older pedestrians, child pedestrians are not experienced and well educated about using the road. They are therefore particularly vulnerable to injuries and accidents.
Road safety campaigns have helped reduce child road deaths by 90% since records began in 1979, but six children die and 170 more are seriously injured every month on the UK’s roads. There is a peak in child fatalities and injuries in September and October, the months when children get used to their new route to school.
Whatever a child's age, road safety is one of the most important lessons they'll learn.
- Ensure all adults and children are wearing high-visibility vests.
- Always cross at a designated pedestrian crossing (zebra, pelican, puffin or toucan) if possible. If not possible, find a place with good visibility and explain to children the importance of being able to see both ways when crossing. Encourage the children to think about why crossing between parked cars is dangerous.
- Have children pair up and hold hands in a line, with practitioners supervising the front and back of the line. If possible, have a practitioner supervising the middle of the line as well.
- Encourage all children to observe the crossing signals changing and the traffic stopping. Enable them to follow the Green Cross Code by looking both ways before, and during, their crossing – “Look right, look left, look right again”.
The Green Cross Code
- Find a safe place to cross
- Stop at the kerb
- Look right
- Look left
- Look right again
- If the road is clear, cross – don’t run!
- Keep looking and listening for traffic as you cross.
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