ROAD SAFETY SUMMER NEWSLETTER FOR PARENTS & CARERS

With the warmer weather upon us and the summer holidays on the way, children will be spending more time outdoors. When playing out, there are a few things to bear in mind to help keep them safe.

• Remember roads are for traffic and are not safe places to play. Drivers may not notice a child in the road – especially if they are low down on a scooter or wheelie toy.
• Do not leave older children supervising younger children. A 9-year-old is not mature enough to take responsibility for a toddler; children are easily distracted.
• Always remember to check garden gates are locked, so children cannot escape onto the road.
• Take your child to a safe play area or park. Why not walk there and teach them some road safety skills along the way?
• Make sure you and your children have the correct safety gear, including helmets when riding a bike, scooting or skate boarding.
• Remember to check your bikes are in good working order. Click on the link below to watch how to carry out a basic bike maintenance check.
• Check your bike by following the 11 steps

Going for a walk? Why not use this time to reinforce important road safety skills? Where possible cross at the safer places – the Traffic Islands, Zebra Crossings, Pelican or Puffin Crossings. Remember to always hold young children’s hands and don’t let them run ahead or lag behind when near a road. Reins are a great idea for toddlers who like to escape. It’s always safer for children to walk on the inside of the pavement - furthest away from the road.

Practise the Green Cross Code 

Hold Hands, Find a Safer Place, Stop, Look, Listen, Think!

Prepare your child for Secondary School You might be surprised to hear that the age group most likely to be involved in a pedestrian accident is 12-15 years old. If you have a Year 6 child starting secondary school in September, remember to plan and practise the new route to school with them in the holidays. Show them the safer places to cross and talk to them about not getting distracted by friends or their mobile phones when crossing. If they need to catch a bus, make sure they know what to do if they miss it - do they have a back-up plan?

Your child should have brought the following leaflets home from school which have important information on how to keep safe on their journey to school. Please encourage them to read these Transition Leaflet

In the Car If you’re travelling by car, remember everyone needs to be wearing a seat belt and children need to use a car seat or booster seat until they reach 135cm or 12 years old, however, it is safer to use one up to 150cm tall. High back boosters rather than backless booster cushions are recommended for all aged children as they offer much better protection as well as head and neck support. For car seat advice take a look at these websites: Child Car Seats Good Egg Car Safety Child Car Seats - The Rules

Remember when you let children out of the car, make sure it’s always onto the pavement and not into the road

Set a good example

Remember, however you travel it is important to always set a good example. Your children learn from you and will copy what you do. If you always wear your seat belt and always cross the road at the pedestrian crossing, then they will do that too!