Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of road injury within South Africa, especially where pedestrians are concerned. South African road traffic statistics show that more than 450 kids are injured on a daily basis, due to road accidents. With road fatality statistics including over 4,800 of pedestrians, more than 200 were kids. Adopting the correct behavior for road safety from an early age is therefore an important part of a child’s ‘coming of age’ as a road user.

Maintaining your child’s road safety at all times can be nerve-wrecking when you’re not with them. Who ensures their safety when walking home from school? The tragic truth is that children die on our roads every day. Unlike adults, the mindset of children are not as mature. Many children are unaware of the safety risks of running across a road without first stopping and looking. Educating children about road safety therefore play a vital part in saving the lives of South Africa’s younger generation, and in making them better road users and motorists.

Child road safety is just as important as the road safety of mature motorists. Without adult supervision or at least the knowledge of road safety rules, children are vulnerable to road risks. CarZar turns headlights on various safety aspects that will help protect the young generation from road accidents – whether your child takes a bus or walk to school.

Don’t compromise on your child’s road safety. Educate your child on ways to stay safe on the roads and practice it with them.

CarZar offers you a few road safety tips to make your child aware of:

Traffic Lights: Help your child understand what each traffic light colour means; including the ‘walking man’ symbol and its changes in colour. Do not forget that a ‘hand’ symbol is sometimes used instead of the ‘walking man’ symbol.
Pedestrian Crossing: Inform your child that not all vehicles will stop at a pedestrian crossing. Educate them to stop and look before crossing at a pedestrian crossing. Inform your child to never cross at bends, as bends are a blind spot for vehicles; thus, motorists won’t be able to stop in time.
Stop. Look. Listen. Cross: At some point, your child will probably have to cross a street. Tell them to look for signals and use the pedestrian crossing. If there is no available pedestrian crossing, warn them to stop, and look right and left, for oncoming cars. If there are, wait for the vehicle to pass and then cross. If there are no visible cars, listen for engine sounds first.
Use the Sidewalk: Teach your kid to never run across a road and to have patience instead. Instruct them to walk along the provided sidewalk, whether the road is busy or not.
Using a Bicycle: Older kids prefer riding their bikes to school or to a friend’s house. Ensure that they’re wearing a helmet when riding a bike and that their bicycle is in roadworthy condition. Instruct them to use the bicycle lane.
Inside a Vehicle: Ensure that your kid is wearing a seat belt at all times or is seated in a car seat, if an infant or under 4-years of age. Your child should not stand inside a moving vehicle or school bus, or place any body parts outside the window of a moving vehicle. Make sure to use the vehicle’s child lock feature, as many kids tend to open car doors – but don’t leave them in the car either, when making a pitstop. Children should get out of a motor vehicle at the curb-side, to avoid road obstruction.
Retain Visibility: Having your child wear light-coloured clothing is probably a good idea if they are walking or riding a bike at night – or even during the day.

Make road safety learning educational, yet fun! Plan games to introduce the topic of road safety to your kids. They’ll use their active imagination to become aware of the safety risks of the road and in ways that will allow them to value their road safety.

CarZar continues to create awareness of road safety. Set a good example, and help your child remain safe by expanding their knowledge on the importance of road and traffic awareness.

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