Frank's Automotive & Collision Center

Make Your Kids Safer and Smarter Pedestrians

Walking to school with your youngster is a wonderful and extremely healthy way to spend quality time with your kids. It's also an ideal opportunity for you to teach your child how to be a safe pedestrian and offer him or her the knowledge and skills they need to avoid accidents. Here at Frank's Automotive & Collision Center, we know the concerns that parents have about their young children and one of the first thing we were taught by our parents was to look both ways before crossing the street.

Here are some helpful directives for parents to follow as they instruct their children about how to be a safe and cautious pedestrian, here in New Braunfels, TX or wherever you live.

Power (and Safety) in Numbers

Your child should always walk with you or another responsible adult or a group of other children, whenever at all possible. Children nine years old or younger should cross the street with a parent or guardian.

Cross the Street Correctly

Always make certain that your child always crosses the street at a street corner or intersection. Most intersections, especially near schools, often feature crosswalks with stoplights.  Teach your children  what the signals mean as old as they can process the information.  But also let them know that they should never rely exclusively on traffic lights and should always be aware of what drivers are doing.  At any street crossing, your child needs to use a "stop and look left-right-left to see" to anticipate any approaching vehicles.

Many younger kids may need to learn the "left" and "right" directions before crossing any street. Help your children by making the letter "L" with the thumb and first finger on their left hand. This can assist your child to recall which way to look first before crossing. When there are no cars approaching from either direction, it is a safe and sound time for your child to cross the street. Also remember to instruct them to always walk (never run) and continually keep looking for traffic until safely crossing the street.

Make Safe Walking in Their DNA

Walking does not cost your kids a dime and it provides amazing exercise as well, so stress the importance of safe walking and they can enjoy it safely for their entire lives. Let them know that it is a great way for them to visit your friends, travel to and from school, the movies, shopping mall, church, skate park, swimming pool and local parks.

Sources: National Safety Council, USA Today and NHTSA