The 6 best ways to make sure your children are safe on the road.

Because it’s one of the most important lessons they’ll ever learn.

Of all the skills children need to master, from toilet training to learning to tie shoelaces, road safety is one of the most important skill sets we need to pass on.

It can be quite daunting though, and it’s certainly not a case of “let them make a mistake and then they’ll learn”. There’s too much at stake when it comes to road safety.

It’s always been important to me that my daughter feels confident to navigate the world around her. From late primary school, she has also walked to school most days, so it’s been a vital area of learning to get right, both for her safety and my peace of mind.

So here are six simple ways you can make sure your children are safe on the road.

1. Take your child to a secure area to learn road safety for the first time.

When my daughter was first learning to ride a bike, her biggest hurdle was confidence. I made the mistake of taking her to a popular beach pathway when she was still a little bit wobbly on two wheels, and the cacophony of bikes, bells, scooters, skaters and walkers was too much for her.

There are plenty of cycle parks around that are especially designed for young riders. These are safe, contained areas where your children can gain confidence with simple techniques like slowing and stopping, giving way, and being aware of things going on around them.

2. Sign up to a program like RAC Little Legends Club.

These days there are wonderful online resources to help you teach your child about road safety, such as the RAC Little Legends Club.

The RAC Little Legends Club is a free road safety program for children in years 1 to 6, with interactive games tailored to individual developmental contexts.

RAC are committed to educating our young people in order to reduce the road toll, and they are doing a superb job.

3. Get your child’s school involved.

The RAC Little Legends Club provides a great way for road safety to be delivered in schools.  Their free in-class presentations are aligned to the Australian curriculum and supported by online resources that will help children learn all about bicycle, pedestrian and passenger safety.

Teachers can book incursions for their school to offer practical learning to students, and it’s great to know that the road safety lessons you are teaching the kids at home are being reinforced at school.

4. Role modeling.

We all know we are the greatest role models for our children, even on our bad days. Children take cues from our behaviour, especially in everyday environments like the car and navigating around our suburbs and cities.

Be aware that risky decisions such as aggressive driving, road rage, jaywalking, or not paying attention to things around you on the streets can have huge consequences for children who are absorbing and mimicking our choices.

5. Make sure there they know when you’re serious.

It’s important that young children in particular know when you mean business. If you need your child to stop, slow down or simply follow your command, it’s vital that they recognise your serious tone and act accordingly. Discuss the importance of them listening to you around roads and cities.

6. Talk about road rules with them.

It’s also important to have conversations with your children about the importance of road safety. Ask them what they would do in certain situations. Quiz them about road rules when you are driving.

One thing I liked to do when my daughter was younger was ask her to take the lead, and tell me what to do when crossing a road. It was a great way to tell where she was at.

How do you ensure your child is safe around roads?

Want more? Try these:

The laws threatening our children's safety.

You can't keep your children safe all of the time.