20 Road Safety Rules For Students To Follow
India is a country with a massive population, leading to busy roads and big crowds everywhere. Thus, to ensure road safety for kids, it is essential for them to be aware of traffic rules and road safety measures so that they are not among the 1.5 million lives we lose every year to road crashes.
JBM Smart School is among the best schools in Greater Noida West that inculcates road safety skills in young students. Our dedicated staff ensures that our little learners understand the importance of looking both ways and holding hands while crossing the road and setting a strong foundation for a lifetime of safe travels.
What Are Road Safety Rules?
Road safety rules are a set of regulations to be followed by pedestrians, passengers, and drivers to protect them and vehicles on the road from accidents. Road safety rules for students include obeying traffic signals and signs, using seatbelts, and zebra crossings, avoiding distractions like texting while on the road, maintaining a safe distance from vehicles, and more.
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Why Kids Should Learn Road Safety Rules?
As kids grow, it becomes crucial for them to learn to do things on their own which includes going out to play, doing chores such as getting things from the market, and going to a friend’s home.
They are going to step out on their own for a variety of reasons. Thus, road safety rules for kids should be ingrained in their minds from a very early age.
Parents and teachers should teach children road safety rules to follow, discuss road rules with them before they leave home, and ensure they adhere to these rules while walking on the road.
Road Safety Rules For Kids
Here are 20 road safety rules for students that they should follow.
1. Introduce Kids to Traffic Lights
Tell them what each traffic light color represents and what is expected of them when the traffic light turns green, yellow, and red. Ask them about the traffic light colors till they have committed this basic knowledge to their memory and understood it fully.
- When the traffic light is green – It means the vehicles can move so it is not the apt time to cross the road as the traffic would be at peak.
Takeaway – Avoid crossing the road when the signal is green.
- When the traffic light is yellow – It means the vehicles are going to slow down and soon, the signal will turn red.
Takeaway – Wait for the signal to turn red.
- When the traffic signal is red – It means all the vehicles on the road will stop moving for a while.
Takeaway – Cross the road when the signal turns red.
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2. Always Use Pedestrian Crossings
Pedestrian crossings are the designed area where pedestrians have the right of way which makes them a safe place to cross the road. Ask kids to use the nearby zebra crossing to cross the road.
3. Identify the Road Signs
To ensure the road safety of the kids, ensure that they are informed about the basic road signals such as stop, no entry, U-turn, and more so that they have a better sense of road rules and can walk on it confidently.
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4. Always Look Left, Right, Left Before Crossing
In India, vehicles drive on the left side of the road but it is not enough to just keep an eye on the direction of the incoming traffic as sometimes, the drivers might not follow the rules. So, it is important for the kids to look towards both directions and see that the way is clear.
5. Hold Hands of Adults While Crossing the Road
Children are young and unable to take responsibility for their safety physically and cognitively. They have underdeveloped peripheral vision, a small stature, and difficulty in assessing vehicle speed and distance. Hence, kids up to age 8 need to hold hands and require adult supervision while crossing the road.
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6. Use Sidewalks or Footpaths
Let the kids know that the footpaths and sidewalks are designated places for walking and they shall be used every time they walk on the road. In case there are no footpaths, children should walk at a safe distance from the edge of the road facing toward the incoming traffic so that they are aware of the vehicles approaching them.
7. No Playing Near Roads
Roads experience a lot of high-speed traffic which makes playing near roads hazardous for kids as they might unintentionally run onto the road during their game and endanger themselves. Thus, the safe places for children to play are public parks and school grounds.
8. Never Cross The Road at The Curves
Where the road bends, the incoming traffic is unable to spot the pedestrians and thus, crossing roads at bends puts the pedestrians at more risk of getting hit by a vehicle. Make kids understand how road bends play as blindspots for motorists and how they can be hazardous for them.
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9. No Running While Crossing The Road
Kids who are starting to learn how to cross the road on their own often run while crossing as they get scared of the approaching vehicles. However, this puts them at even greater risk. Teach kids to cross the road when they are sure that traffic is away and tell them to walk and never run while crossing.
10. Keep Your Ears Open
Adults should teach children to pay attention and listen to horns and the sounds of approaching vehicles, especially if they are near a bend so that they can act quickly and get out of the way of the traffic.
11. Wear Bright Clothes That Catch Attention
Since kids are small in stature and can be missed by drivers while walking on the road, it is recommended that they wear bright clothing or reflective gear that makes them visible to drivers and reduces the risk. Also, they should not wear black at night as their apparel will make them invisible in the dark of night.
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12. Be Cautious Around Parked Cars
When walking along the parked cars, see to it that there is no driver inside trying to back their car out of parking. Since kids are small and not easily seen, drivers backing their cars might not notice them and can hit them unknowingly.
13. Don’t Try To Cross A Highway
Highways are for high-speed vehicles only. You would get run over if you tried to cross them jaywalking. The right way of crossing a highway is by making use of an underpass or overbridge that is available to you at a close distance.
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14. Do Not Multitask While Crossing The Road
When crossing the road, it’s crucial to stay fully alert and attentive. Avoid using headphones or talking on your phone, and refrain from crossing absentmindedly, as such negligence could endanger your life.
15. Steer Clear Of Large Vehicles
Large vehicles such as buses and trucks have the driver’s seat at an elevated position due to which they experience more blindspots than cars and autos and might miss the pedestrians crossing the road.
16. Walk Defensively
Crossroad with the assumption that not all drivers will obey traffic laws. This prepares you to react quickly if a vehicle doesn’t yield the right-of-way or springs in your way from the wrong side.
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17. Lookout For Motorcycles
Motorcycles aren’t easily identifiable as trucks and cars by children so kids need to keep a vigilant eye for these fast-pacing vehicles as these might catch them off-guard. Being aware of motorcycles can help them avoid accidents and stay safe on the road.
18. Give Way To Emergency Vehicles
Teach the kids to identify emergency vehicles such as fire brigades and ambulances that usually have sirens ringing and tell them to move out of their way safely and give those vehicles an easy passage.
19. Practice Safety While Inside A Moving Vehicle
Make your kids put the seat belt on, tell them to keep their windows half-closed and not take their hands or heads out of it as it could be unsafe for them if they do so.
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20. Get Inside And Out Of The Vehicle With Safety
Tell the children to never get out of a moving vehicle or when the car slows down on a busy road. Teach them that the right way of getting out of the vehicle is to wait till it is parked to the side of the curb and then, deboard from the door that’s nearest to the sidewalk.
Road Safety Rules For Cycling
Kids love to cycle. Cycling helps them stay fit, get some fresh air, explore their surroundings, and more. Thus, kids need to be aware of road rules to follow while on their bikes so that they can ride around safely.
Here 7 rules for kids to keep in mind when they go biking.
1. Ensure Your Bike Is In Prime Condition
Before you go out riding your bike, see to it that you don’t have a flat tyre, the air pressure is good, the brakes are working properly and the chain is well-oiled so that there are no snags during your ride.
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2. Wear Your Helmet
The two-wheelers are always at greater risk on the road in case an accident occurs so ensure that you never go biking without your helmet. Wear knee pads and elbow pads as well if you have recently learned to ride.
3. Follow Traffic Rules
Cyclists follow the same traffic rules as drivers. Stick to your cycle lane (in case there is none, cycle on the extreme left or extreme right of the road), yield right-of-the-way, avoid overspeeding, riding on the wrong side of the road, or going against the traffic.
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4. Use Hand Signals
While taking turns or stopping to the side, let your intention of switching roads or getting to the side known to fellow drivers with your hand gestures. This would put you all on the same page and other drivers will give you way.
5. Be Vigilant
Keep a keen eye on the road and your surroundings and stay aware of vehicles, pedestrians, and other cyclists at all times to anticipate potential hazards and avoid them successfully.
6. Practice Caution at Intersections
Intersection usually experiences a lot of traffic so make sure that you are crossing it cautiously. Stay clear of heavy traffic and avoid overtaking or speeding.
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Conclusion
Kids may find road rules perplexing at first so adult supervision is necessary. By instilling the above-mentioned road safety rules in children from a young age, we’re not only protecting their well-being but also laying the foundation for a lifetime of responsible road behavior.
JBM Smart Start School is the best school in Greater Noida that helps kids learn road safety rules early on so that there is a culture of awareness, caution, and respect for our fellow road users.
Frequently Asked Questions
The basic road safety rules that every child should know are to cross roads only when the light is red, not to run on roads, to walk on the sidewalks, to use underpasses or footbridges, and to see left, right, and left before crossing the road.
Roads present danger to little kids who are small and not easily noticeable. Teaching them road safety would ensure that they follow road rules and are more aware and responsible for their safety on the road.
