Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety for Kids
Getting To School Safely
Walking is very cool – it’s free, it’s great exercise, and you can do it to get almost anywhere. You can visit your friends, travel to school, the movies, shopping, worship, museums, or sporting events. What’s not cool is when young people are killed or injured while walking. So here are some important things to remember so you stay safe and healthy.
Safety Tips for Crossing the Street
- Find the nearest crosswalk available if you can.
- Stop at the curb or the edge of the road if there is no curb.
- Stop and look left, then right, then left again for moving cars before you step into the street.
- If you see a car, wait until it goes by. Then look left, right, left again until no cars are coming.
- If a car is parked where you are crossing, look to make sure there is no driver and that the car is not running.
- Next, go to the edge of the car and look left-right-left to see if cars are coming.
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When no cars are coming, Walk
— do not run — across the road. Keep looking left-right-left for cars while you are crossing.
Things to remember when walking
- Always walk on the sidewalk. Walk on the sidewalk if there is one.
- If no sidewalk, walk facing traffic. If there is no sidewalk and you have to walk on the road, be sure to walk facing traffic.
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Be safe. Be seen.
Brightly colored clothing makes it easier for drivers to see you during the daytime. But at night, you need to have a flashlight or wear special reflective material on your shoes, cap, and jacket or on your arms or legs that bounce the car’s lights off you and back to the driver. This light should caution the driver that there is something or someone moving and they should slow down and be careful.
Don't Dart Out
Darting out in front of a parked car is dangerous. The driver of the car coming down the street can’t see you.