Road Safety Guidelines for Parents: Teaching Children to Navigate Traffic Safely

Parents' Reminder
On Road Traffic Rules

1. When walking on the sidewalk:

• Stick to the right side of the sidewalk.

• Do not lead the child along the edge of the sidewalk: the adult should be on the side of the roadway.

2. When preparing to cross the road:

• Stop or slow down, and look at the roadway.

• Involve the child in observing the traffic situation.

• Emphasize your actions: turning your head to check the street, stopping to check the road, stopping to let cars pass.

• Teach the child to distinguish approaching vehicles.

• Do not stand with the child at the edge of the sidewalk, as vehicles passing by may brush against, hit, or run over the child with their rear wheels.

• Repeatedly show the child how vehicles stop at pedestrian crossings and how they move by inertia.

3. When leaving the house:

• Immediately draw the child's attention to the traffic near the entrance and check together if a car, motorcycle, moped, or bicycle is approaching.

• If vehicles are parked near the entrance or trees are blocking the view, stop and look around for any danger behind the obstruction.

4. While waiting for public transport:

• Stand with the children only at designated bus stops or, if unavailable, on the sidewalk or roadside.

5. When crossing the roadway:

• Cross the road only at pedestrian crossings or at marked crosswalks at intersections; otherwise, the child will get used to crossing wherever they want.

• Don’t rush or run; always cross at a steady pace.

• Do not cross the road diagonally; emphasize, show, and explain to the child every time that you are walking strictly across the street, so that you can better observe cars and motorcycles.

• Do not rush to cross the road if you see friends, relatives, or acquaintances on the other side. Don’t hurry or run toward them, as this is dangerous.

• Do not start crossing the street on roads where vehicles rarely pass without checking your surroundings.

• Explain to the child that cars may suddenly come out from alleys or driveways.

6. When boarding and disembarking from public transport:

• Get out ahead of the child, as the little one may fall, and an older child may run out from behind a parked vehicle into the roadway.

• Only approach the vehicle for boarding once it has fully stopped; both children and adults can stumble and fall under the wheels.

• Do not board public transport at the last moment before departure; the front door is especially dangerous as you could get caught under the vehicle’s wheels.

• Teach the child to be cautious at the stop zone — a particularly dangerous area for them, as a stationary bus may obstruct the view of the road.

7. While traveling in a car:

• Train children to sit only in the back seat of the car; do not allow them to sit next to the driver if the front seat is not equipped with a child seat.

• Do not allow young children to stand on the back seat during travel: in case of a sudden stop or collision, they may fly over the seatback and hit the front window.

• Never leave children unsupervised in the car.

Soldatova V.M., Class Teacher of 8th Grade "B"