As a parent, the chances are that walking with your child on the roads is very often a stressful occurrence. You can barely keep up the conversation as you constantly scan around you for any hazards, holding your child’s hand with an unbreakable grip. Even at a quiet zebra crossing, you find yourself on high alert. When you finally reach your destination, you’re emotionally exhausted from worrying - and then you remember there’s a return journey!

If this resonates with you, then first of all, well done! No matter how stressful walking with your child may be, the most important thing is that you care about your child’s safety around the roads. Even by reading this article, you’re showing the right intent!

There are no two ways about it - roads and fast-moving vehicles can be very dangerous for children. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that it is a common cause of anxiety for many parents.

Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to maximise your child’s safety around roads, in turn helping to ease your fears. So, starting with road safety on the pavement, let’s take a look at what you should keep in mind.

How can I keep my child safe around roads?

On the pavement:

Here are some tips for keeping your child safe on pavements:

Don’t let your child stray. If you and your child are walking on the pavement near a road - even a quiet road - make sure to hold their hand tightly. If your child is younger or particularly unpredictable, using a pushchair or reins can keep your child safe when next to roads. If you are walking with only one child, you should be in between them and the road. In general, never let your child be near a road without anything preventing them from making sudden movements.

No scooters or bikes. If your child is aged 7 or younger, they should not use scooters and toddler bikes near roads, period. It is very easy for your child to lose control when using these small vehicles. For instance, it may not be easy for your child to brake if you are walking down a hill. Also, because they can go at higher speeds, you can potentially lose sight of them if they whizz off. Save the scooters and toddler bikes for the playground and parks!

Don’t use your phone. Whether calling, texting, or scrolling, don’t be on your phone when walking on the roads with your child. Being on your phone makes you more likely to become distracted and lose sight of them. Also, it is a bad habit to teach your child, since they may learn that they don’t need to pay attention when around the roads.

Start teaching. If your child is of the appropriate age, you may like to start gently educating them about pavements. You can point out the boundary between pavements and roads so they know where it is safe to walk. Also, it is good practice to teach your child when to stop at the end of a pavement before crossing.

Crossing roads:

Until the age of at least 8, and possibly not even after that age, children are typically not ready to cross roads on their own.

If you believe your child is too young to be taught about crossing roads, simply cross safely and ensure that your child is safely in their pushchair or holding your hand firmly. If, however, you think the time has come to teach your child about crossing roads, consider giving them the following lessons:

They should know that pedestrian crossings are the safest places to cross. If there are no pedestrian crossings, then they should cross in a quiet area.

Teach your child where they shouldn’t cross. This includes spots where they can’t see far along the road, where they have to go between parked cars, and on main roads.

Start engaging your child in your road-crossing decisions. For instance, explain why you have made the decision to cross in a certain spot, and then later ask them if a particular spot is safe for crossing.

They must always look carefully in both directions before crossing, no matter how safe it may appear, and then walk straight across.

Even while your child is crossing, they should still look and listen out for oncoming traffic and remain concentrated.

Other adults walking with your child should follow the same road safety rules as you.

Set a good example. If you contradict your own teachings by crossing at unsafe points or without looking, your child may learn this behaviour. So, make sure to take extra care of your own actions when crossing roads with your child.

Pedestrian crossings:

Even though pedestrian crossings are the safest places to cross, they are only safe if your child knows how to cross at these spots. Make sure to teach them the following things:

At a light-controlled crossing, they must only cross once the green man shows.

At a zebra crossing, they must wait until all vehicles have come to a complete stop before crossing.

Cyclists and motorcyclists cannot always see them, so they should make sure they are as visible as possible.

If there is an island in the middle of a crossing, they should treat each half as a separate crossing.

Other people won’t always cross safely, so tell them not to rely on what people around them are doing!

If you are worried about your child’s safety around roads, speak to an expert or do some research on an expert-approved site.

How can I keep my child safe around roads? (Under 7 years)

Road safety tips for kids from Unii.