How much does your child know about road safety?
Zebra crossings are there for a reason and should be relied on for safe pedestrian crossing, yet accidents still occur as this case exemplifies.
Accident at a zebra crossing
According to a Straits Times report, a Secondary One student from St Andrew’s Secondary was injured in a car accident last Tuesday in Potong Pasir. The 13-year-old boy from St Andrew’s Secondary had been knocked down by a car at a zebra crossing outside his school and suffered injuries to his elbow and back.
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The accident was reported to have happened after school dismissal and a school teacher who witnessed the incident had immediately alerted the relevant authorities along with the boy’s parents and the school.
According to Mr Liang Sea Fong, the school’s communications liaison officer, the boy was rushed to hospital where he was put under a 24-hour observation to monitor his injuries. Fortunately as of today, the boy has been discharged from hospital and is presumably recovering at home.
It is not known what happened to the driver involved in the accident as police investigations are still going on.
Pedestrian road safety
This incident once again shines the spotlight on road safety and children in Singapore. In a busy city like Singapore where roads are constantly trawling with vehicles, it is of utmost importance to inculcate in our kids how to stay safe on the roads. According to Singapore Road Safety Council, pedestrians formed the second largest group of road traffic fatalities, behind motorcyclists and pillion riders. In most of these cases, the pedestrians were either crossing heedless of traffic or had failed to use available pedestrian crossing.
Yet pedestrian crossings are not a fool proof way of avoiding accidents. Thus it is important for your child to be extra careful on the roads, even if they are at pedestrian crossings such as zebra crossings and traffic light stops. According to the Singapore Road Safety Council, these are some things to take note of when teaching your child about road safety.
Road safety and your children
Do’s:
- Do cross the road at designated pedestrian crossings such as overhead bridges, underpasses or zebra crossings.
- Do be alert for inattentive drivers even at signalised crossings.
- Do raise your hand when crossing at signalised crossings to signal to driver your intention to cross.
- Do use footpaths and walk on the pavement when possible.
- Do hold on to handrails on the bus or train to avoid being thrown off balance during sudden braking.
- Do look right and left for any incoming traffic before crossing the road.
Dont’s:
- Don’t sprint across the road.
- Don’t cross in front of a stationary vehicle or between stationary vehicles.
- Don’t attempt to cross or run across a traffic light stop when the ‘red man’ lights up or when the ‘green man’ is flashing.
- Don’t play or stand in the bus bay. Wait for the bus at the bus stop instead.
- Don’t play on the road.
- Don’t play in a moving vehicle.
Additional note for parents
- Always be safe or you might end up sorry instead.
- Be patient when driving your child to school even if you’re late, as these are peak traffic hours.
- Always park your vehicle at designated parking areas otherwise your car might become a hazard for other road users.
- Always be alert and drive slowly when you’re in a school zone.
- Always anticipate any crossings by school children in the school zone.
- Teach your children about road safety rules and set a good example.
- Help your child to cross the road safely and follow all safety rules.
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