It’s never too early…
The passion I have for road safety goes beyond driving a motor vehicle; it also includes walking, running, cycling, skateboarding and anything you can think of. Distracted driving is huge within our society so being aware of the dangers that can be sent our way is important. Even if you’re careful, something may go wrong so being prepared is always a good idea.
I know I’m not the only person who feels the same way. I recently watched a father of a young child wander down my street pulling a wagon. The young child he had in the wagon was sitting in a car seat with belts attached. What a creative way to ensure his child was safe within the wagon. I remember when my kids were all very young and I would constantly keep checking to ensure they were sitting down while riding in the wagon. It made me a distracted walker for sure.
How young were your kids when you started to speak to them about road safety? Did you wait until they were riding their bikes on the road? Did you do it because they were walking to school and had to cross the street? Whatever the reason, it’s never too young to teach them about safety.
One of my sons is an avid skateboarder. He’ll ride his long board to school when the weather is nice, but we do have rules for him. He has to wear his helmet and he has to obey the rules of the road and watch for vehicles. He knows if he breaks any of those rules he’ll lose his privilege of riding his long board for a while. He made the mistake of not wearing his helmet previously and lost his riding privileges so he knows I take it seriously.
Seatbelts are also something that is taken seriously in our home. There was a time when my son’s friend invited my son to an outing that his mom was driving him to. When he got home he explained that he and his friend shared a seatbelt during the hour commute. I was shocked, angered and disappointed that a parent of another child would put someone else’s child at risk of injury, let alone their own child. My son knew it was wrong since he grew up with understanding road safety, but he trusted the adult in the vehicle.
I think that’s the thing to recognize here; we’re adults. As adults we need to teach our kids about road safety. Not because it’s the law, but because of what could happen to them if there was a problem. Mistakes happen and we need to be ready to protect ourselves just in case. It also gets them more prepared once they begin to drive. My older son doesn’t even hesitate about safety now that he’s driving. Was this because he was taught early about safety? Perhaps, but in my eyes, you’re never too young to learn.
**Check for distracted walkers…. HERE