Traffic education in elementary school and kindergarten: 12 tips

Many kindergartens have traffic cops come to teach preschoolers important rules of conduct. A very good initiative, because although parents are experienced road users, additional tips that go beyond the proven rules “look left, right, left” and “if it’s red you stop, if it’s green you can go” help.

Because it is often necessary to sharpen the parents’ awareness of difficult situations that they would not otherwise have classified as dangerous. It is important to know and avoid these “traps” in road safety education. For example, adults are a lot more experienced and, above all, larger and therefore have a clear advantage when it comes to certain road traffic situations.

Traffic education begins in everyday family life

First of all, the good news: children can usually drive safely on the road from the age of seven, provided they know the rules and stick to them. One of the most important requirements for this is: practice, practice, practice. Parents should teach their children the most important rules of conduct in traffic from an early age and, above all, set an example. Because children learn best through imitation. In addition, parents should always let their children take responsibility in a playful way in order to consolidate what they have learned and at the same time to check whether the child has internalized the rules and tips.

Safe on the road? Parents have to pay attention to that

In practice, it already helps to be at eye level with the child. What does the world look like from this perspective? The cars are already bigger, it’s not possible to look out onto the road. With this trick, adults are made aware of children’s perceptions and learn where they need to pay particular attention. So that practicing does not become a stressful affair, the most important basic requirement is: take your time for the journey.

Here’s how parents should behave when teaching their children about road safety:

Crossing a street without crossing assistance

• When children stand at the side of the road and check whether the road is clear, they usually turn their heads very far to the left and right. This is due to children’s field of vision, which is smaller than that of adults. It is not fully formed until it is seven years old. However, the danger at the moment of bending forward is that the head can be caught in the side mirror of a passing car or the handlebars of a bicycle. It is always safest to cross a street where children have a clear view of the street while still keeping a safe distance from the street.
• The distance to the road should always be a foot from the curb so that the child is still protected even if they should lean over.
• Children are not yet able to judge the speed of a moving object correctly. It is therefore important that the road is completely clear before crossing. Only when there is no car, bicycle or scooter in sight may the child enter the street and cross to the other side of the street. Parents should set an example for their children in everyday life.
• Cars are often parked at the side of the road, especially in large cities, so that children do not have a clear view of the road from the sidewalk. You have to walk between the parked cars to see the lane. Before doing so, children must look into parked cars and make sure there is no driver in them. If in doubt, a driver would not see a child in front of or behind his car. Only then are children allowed to go to the outer headlights or reflectors and look at the streets.
• When drivers see a child waiting at a street or intersection, they often stop and signal the child to cross the street. However, it is difficult for a child to judge whether the car driver really stopped safely and whether the driver actually saw them. The light on the windshield often reflects so strongly that children cannot see the inside of the car. It is therefore better to stick to the basic rule that cars, bicycles and scooters always have the right of way on the road. In this case, the child should wave the car through with a friendly smile and wait until the road is clear.

Crossing a street at a traffic light

• When it’s red you stop, when it’s green you can go. So far so good, but what do you do when the traffic light turns red while crossing the street? Should you go back, since you can’t go any further when the light is red, or should you quickly run to the other side of the street? Neither nor. If the traffic light changes color after entering the street, do not turn around and do not start running. There is enough time to quickly get to the other side of the street. If a child starts to run, there is a risk that they will trip and fall and will not get off the road in time because of their fright.
• Likewise, children and parents should not run to catch the green phase of a traffic light. There is the same risk of falling here. Therefore, it is better to be patient and wait for a traffic light phase.

Crossing a street at the crosswalk

• The crosswalk is commonly recognized as a safe way for children to cross a street. In fact, the driving behavior of drivers can make this more difficult. It is very difficult for children to assess whether drivers will reliably stop at a zebra crossing. Motorists often roll their cars expecting a child to come out on the road. The child, however, waits until a car has stopped at the crosswalk. Tip: When a child looks at the car wheels, it is best for them to see whether the car is stationary or still moving.
• Crossing a street at a zebra crossing is also made more difficult by the right-hand lane. The same applies here: only when a car coming from the right is at the crosswalk is the child allowed to cross the street. But by the time that happens, many drivers have lost patience and are stepping on the gas again.

General tips for traffic education

• Children and parents should always choose the safest place to cross a street. When in doubt, it is safer, for example, to avoid the zebra crossing or to take a small detour until there are no cars parked on the hard shoulder blocking the view.
• Children should always walk on the inside of the pavement, parents on the outside. So the child has the greatest possible distance to the road.
• Until school starts, parents should always include short practice units of about 10-15 minutes for traffic education. In this way, children can regularly practice everything they have learned until the safe journey to school becomes child’s play.

With these tips, your child will be prepared for the way to school. To ensure that you reach your destination safely, here is some useful advice on how you can practice going to school with your child .