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Walking Safe: Child Pedestrian Safety

27 October 2024

Children under the age of nine need to be accompanied by an adult when walking outside and particularly when crossing streets. Until the age of 9, it is important to make sure that children, when crossing the street, hold the hand of an adult and that they do not cross the street alone. There are several reasons for this:

  1. Physiological: children are short, and their field of view is limited.
  2. Cognitive: for children, it is difficult to accurately assess the speed of the vehicle approaching them.
  3. Emotional: for children, it is difficult to delay gratification, and hence it may be difficult for them to make the right decision when crossing the street. Furthermore, they are more affected by random distractions.

Identifying when children are ready to cross streets on their own

Even when children reach the age of 9, they are not necessarily ready to cross streets on their own. It is important to determine whether they are ready to do so in the following ways:

  • Listen: pay attention to whether the child requests and wishes to walk independently or expresses concerns.
  • Look: observe the child's behavior and particularly to the behavior on the street. Does the child patiently wait for the traffic light to change? Does the child look both ways before crossing the street?
  • Know the rules of the road: is the child familiar with the rules of the road and rules of safe walking?

Preparing and practicing crossing streets alone

Once children are ready to walk and cross streets by themselves, prepare them and practice with them for a few days before allowing them to cross the street on their own.

  • Choose together the safest route.
  • Suggest side and quiet walking routes with as little traffic as possible in the morning and afternoon.
  • Teach them the rules of safe walking: walking on the inner side of the sidewalk, as far from vehicles as possible, stopping before parking lots and crossing the street at crosswalks only.
  • Practice the walking route together for a few days and teach children how to cross safely: stand one or two steps away from the curb, look in all directions and make sure the field of view is open. Listen to the sounds of traffic on the street and look in all directions. After making sure the street is clear or making eye contact with the driver of the vehicle that has stopped - cross in a straight line, quickly and carefully.

Children under 9 - should not cross the street alone

Children under the age of 9 require accompaniment and close supervision of an adult while walking on the street in general and particularly when crossing the street. There are several reasons for this:

Physiological

Children are short and there is a risk that drivers will be unable to notice them on the street or in parking areas. In addition, their field of view is limited in comparison with that of adults.

Cognitive

For young children, it may be difficult to accurately assess the speed of an approaching vehicle and the distance from it.

Emotional

For young children, it may be difficult to delay gratification and make safe and correct decisions. When walking in the street, it may endanger them.

Identifying when children are ready to cross streets on their own

Even when children reach the age of 9, they are not necessarily ready, in all respects, to cross streets on their own. It is important to determine whether the child is ready to do so in the following ways:

  • Listen: does the child ask or wish to cross the street alone or express fear of doing so?
  • Look: is the child capable of delaying gratification in certain circumstances and how does the child behave on the street? Does the child wait patiently for the traffic light to change, look both ways before crossing, make sure the street is clear and properly assess the situation?
  • Know the rules of the road: does the child know the rules of the road and rules of safe walking?

Conditions necessary for walking and crossing streets alone

  • The child is approximately 9-10 years of age.
  • Complexity and length of the route corresponds with the child's abilities.
  • The child was instructed and prepared by the parents regarding the rules of crossing streets and road safety.
  • The child was instructed and prepared by the parents regarding the route, knows the route and walks through it safely.
  • The child expresses willingness to walk independently.

Preparing and practicing walking and crossing streets alone

Near the age of 9, and if you see that the child is ready to walk and cross the street alone, you can start practicing the decision-making process with the child while walking safely and crossing.

Possible ways to learn:

  • While walking together, allow the child to decide when to cross the street. Explain and emphasize that jaywalking is prohibited, that it is important to establish and maintain eye contact with drivers and to make sure, before crossing, that all cars stop in all lanes.
  • Teach the child to understand the street: where the traffic comes from, how to behave in traffic islands.
  • Explain traffic rules in every opportunity.
  • Teach the child the rules of safe walking and emphasize the preference to walk on the inner part of the sidewalk, as far as possible from vehicles. Pay attention to vehicles exiting parking spaces and parking lots.

Rules for safely walking and crossing streets

  • 1
    Walking

    Try to walk as far as possible from the curb and away from vehicles.

  • 2
    Standing at a crosswalk

    At a crosswalk, stand at a distance of one or two steps away from the curb, look both ways and make sure that the field of view is open. Avoid crossing when visibility is limited.

  • 3
    Listening and looking

    Listen to the sounds of traffic and look in all directions.

  • 4
    How to cross

    Only when the street is clear, carefully and rapidly cross the street in a straight line. Only cross when the street is clear or when all the vehicles on the street have stopped.

  • 5
    Do not run out onto the road

    If you want to play ball, carry the ball in a bag and do not hold it, so that it does not roll onto the street. If the ball does roll onto the street, do not run after it. Ask an adult to retrieve the fallen object.

  • 6
    Green light

    Even when the traffic light is green, look in all directions.

  • 7
    Red light

    If the traffic light turns red while crossing the street, finish crossing the street but avoid running.

  • 8
    Vehicles on the street

    If a vehicle stops and allows you to cross, look carefully and make sure that no other vehicle passes the vehicle that stopped.

  • 9
    Crossing in a group

    If you are with other children or adults, you should cross together so that the driver will see you better.

  • 10
    Two-lane street

    It is important that you make sure that all lanes are clear before crossing. If the driver in the nearest lane stops - walk to the line of the car, make sure that the second lane is clear or that the other vehicle has stopped.

  • 11
    A street with lanes in different directions

    Look left, right and left, and in all directions and cross only when all lanes are clear.

  • 12
    If riding a bicycle

    Get off the bicycle and cross the street on foot with the bicycle beside you.

Note: when crossing the street, do not use a mobile phone. Place the phone in your pocket and focus on crossing the street.

Emphases for parents who teach children how cross streets

  • When a child looks both ways: make sure the child really looks and not just rapidly moves his or her head.
  • If the driver of a vehicle stops on the street: teach the child to establish eye contact with the driver to make sure the driver saw them.
  • After you have taught the child how to cross the street: allow the child to decide when to cross and observe how the child acts so that you can determine whether he or she is ready to walk and cross streets alone.
  • Role model: be a role model for your children when walking and explain your actions in simple language: stopping, looking in all directions, crossing only when the light is green. At crosswalks that do not have traffic lights, stop before the crosswalk. Do not use your phone while crossing.

Safety rules in the street

  • At home, a separation should be made between the play area in the yard and the parking area.
  • When parking, take the child from the car seat only when the adult is ready to go.
  • Children should not walk alone in areas with vehicular traffic, including parking lots.
  • Practice the safety rules with the children during every walk.
  • Teach the children the meaning of signs. Tell them to cross at crosswalks, look left and right several times before crossing, and show them what is the safest spot to stand at before crossing the street.

Written with the assistance of the Beterem organization – the National Center for Children's Health and Safety

Video: Pedestrian Safety

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay5bi0voCJ0

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