A shocking accident has come to light, and it really gave us the creeps. We hope this little boy is okay.
Shocking accident
We saw this video on Roads.sg, of an accident that took place in Punggol, a few days back. A little boy is seen dashing across the road on his kick scooter, at a traffic crossing, seemingly unaware that the lights had already turned green for cars to proceed.
So fast is this little kid on his scooter that he runs straight into a taxi coming in from the opposite direction.
What happened next is beyond the field of vision of the car’s camera. But we do hope and pray that this boy is okay, and has not suffered grave injuries. Watch the video below:
A lot of anxious commuters are seen getting out of their cars to help. We also see the boy being carried by an adult (his father?).
Furious netizens have expressed their rage at the careless way this boy was allowed to cross the road. Why wasn’t he supervised? Some have also faulted the taxi driver for not jamming on to the brakes.
To be fair though, the boy might not have paid heed to his parent? And the taxi driver was caught unaware by the speeding scooter that came in from nowhere?
Teaching road safety rules to children
This incident reminds us why teaching road safety rules to our children is a MUST. We have to start training them from little, and keep reinforcing these rules. Here are some basics that every child needs to be aware of:
- Look for the ‘green man’ at pedestrian crossings: The child should understand that unless the ‘green man’ is on, he cannot cross the road. If the child is too young to understand that, hold his hand (and NEVER let go) while crossing the road.
- Look right, look left, look right again while crossing the road: Even if there’s a green man, and even if its a pedestrian crossing, its always safer to check for cars coming in. There are so many instances of cars being too busy to give way to pedestrians these days; the look right, left, right drill will help your child wherever he goes.
- Do not jaywalk: Many a time we are tempted to jaywalk, to save a few minutes of our time. Children learn from us, so if they see us jaywalking, chances are that they would be tempted to do it when they are on their own. One wrong move could cost lives.
- Raise your hand when crossing the roads: Raising your hand allows motorists to be aware that someone is crossing. This is especially crucial for small kids, as they may be below the line of sight of motorists.
- Never use your kick scooter on the road: The kick scooter is not permitted for use on the road. Even at pedestrian crossings, the LTA recommends that you dismount and push the vehicle instead.
- Stay off the road and use footpaths and walkways wherever possible.
- Don’t cross at road bends: Avoid crossing at road bends because your view is temporarily obstructed. You will be unable to see the oncoming vehicles, and they can’t see you either. Always cross from an area where you have a full view of the traffic.
Also READ: Mum caught riding e-scooter with child on road in Singapore!
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