Safety first - Let's Teach Road Safety

Road Safety

Traffic accidents happens how and then. I think it is important for pre-schoolers to be aware about road safety at a young age. Below are some pointers how to get a pre-schooler to be aware of traffic rules.

Stop, Look, Listen! 

Since young, I have been teaching little one about road safety. We have read Storytime for 2 year olds (Ladybird story) a couple of time about a particular short story. Mrs Snail and her little baby snails, Dennis and Doreen, intend to eat leaves on the other side of the path. Mrs Snail teaches her children the basic traffic rule. "Stop, Look, Listen." Though her children had been pestering their mother to cross the path fast, Mrs Snail patiently reminded them to stop, look and listen. A simple short story about snails crossing a path is equivalent to how people should cross the road. This is to ensure safety and I see it as an important subject to teach my child that.

My little girl used to attend a childcare centre whereby the entrance of the centre has a couple of blind spots. We have to alight at the bus terminal and there is only one way to get into the centre from the bus terminal and that is to walk through the intersecting junction of the entrance lane for both the drop off point as well as a 2 way lane to and from the car park. We need to be cautious when crossing at the junction so I took it as an opportunity to teach little one the right way to cross the road. 

• Stop!
• Look Left!
• Look Right! 
• Listen at the same time 
• Look Left again!
• When it was safe enough, we could cross.

Little one seemed too young to understand then. Nevertheless, I repeat the whole process almost every day to her how we should cross the road. Hopefully, I manage to dwell some information into her.

No chasing at the bus stop

My little girl was so fond of  trying to get me chase her at the bus stop that I have to let her know firmly that it is a dangerous thing to do. I seriously can't remember how many times I have to shout at her not to do that. I am glad that message has finally registered in her brain.

Holding hands as we cross

So my next absolute rule is to stay away from the road and carparks. Yes, even car parks are not safe. There are moving vehicles. She has to hold my hand or papa's hand whenever we are crossing the road or car parks.

Standing next to a parked car

When she was older, I had her standing next to a parked car and told her that the car was so big and asked whether she was able to see the seats of the car from where she was standing. She said no. Since she was not able to see the inside of the car, likewise the driver in the car may not be able to see her. Using that as an example, she is not to play on the road , car parks and even bus stops because the driver may not see her.

Red means Stop! Green means Go!

Next on the list was teaching her how to read the traffic lights by using the above simple sentences.
She love it when she activates the push button on the traffic light pole before each crossing. She loves it best when it starts blinking. That is because I told her some lame joke that the traffic lights seems to be calling her uncle because it sounds like 舅舅 (uncle) when the green man is flashing. Well, lame it may be but it got little one's attention. From then on, she understands, when the traffic lights starts to sound, it is an indication she has to cross faster. 

Then again, I would remind her to look out for vehicles even when we are using the signalised pedestrian crossing because not all drivers adhere to traffic signals.

When the zebra crosses

When using the zebra crossing, adapt the concept of stop, look and listen.

Do not retrieve fallen objects on the road

Little one was wearing a hat when a blast of wind blew her hat to the floor. She immediately retrieves it. After which we were walking on a narrow pavement near the road. It suddenly dawn on me that I should teach little one not to retrieve fallen objects on the road. I immediately inform little one that should her hat be blown away by the wind to the road, she is never to dash across the road to retrieve it because it is a dangerous thing to do.

Do not Jay walk

Last but not least, do not jay walk. Show good example to your kids and they would follow the same.