Road safety and back to school

The holidays come to an end and the children go back to school. A path is sometimes fraught with pitfalls and dangers. The remainder of some basic rules on road safety.

Accidents among young pedestrians (10 - 15 years) occur mainly on the journey home/school and in three-quarters of cases, the accident is located within 500 m of the college. The child crosses hurriedly (usually outside pedestrian crossings), which may surprise motorists. The lack of visibility and a late reaction of a driver are also causes of accidents.

Back to school is an opportunity to recall some tips to keep students safe, whether they walk, bike, ride or drive with their parents.

Walk :

Use pedestrian crossings to cross and respect the light signals. In any case, look right, then right before crossing.

Think about the reflective vest.

Avoid helmets or ear cups. Better to pay attention to noises.

To avoid playing, distraction is a source of inattention.

Children must be vigilant, but they remain children. Motorists are invited to be particularly attentive around schools or on busy routes.

To know: the users of rollers, skateboards or scooters considered as pedestrians, so they must roll on the sidewalk but adapt their circulation.

Dangers :

Taken by the game, children are easily distracted.

Children have difficulty estimating distances and speeds.

Still small, children have a restricted visual field.

Children do not perceive the dangers quickly enough.

Children locate and recognize different sounds with difficulty.

Advice :

As a motorist, expect everything when driving near children. Prepare for them to behave surprisingly.

Control and limit your speed so you can stop more quickly in case of danger.

Always be ready to quickly press the brake pedal.

Stop completely at pedestrian crossings.

By bike :

Remember to check the equipment (tire inflation, lighting)

Do not forget the mandatory and essential equipment (helmet, shoes, reflective vest).

A few, it is recommended to ride in a single file or on bike paths.

Observe the rules of the road (direction of traffic, stop, the indication of a change of direction).

It is forbidden to drive on sidewalks.

By car:

The belt is not an option. Seating devices must be adapted to the age of the child: car seat, booster seat and always go down or down on the sidewalk. Be careful around schools, traffic and parking are sometimes anarchic and cause stress. We stay calm!

A simple technique: open your door with your right hand, which forces your body to rotate and take your eyes to the back of your vehicle to check if the way is free. Obviously, for a passenger, it will use the left hand.

By bus:

It is essentially the descent of the bus which is a source of accidents.

Remember that:

The bus stop is not a playground;

Passengers have to wait patiently in front of the bus stop;

Even late, do not run after the bus or cross the roadway.

The seat belt must be buckled by the driver and all passengers;

Do not heckle and leave the driver alone.

Do not clutter the center aisle with the school bags.

Do not go down before stopping the vehicle to avoid a fall;

After leaving the vehicle, you must wait for his departure before crossing the street because the driver may not see you if you pass in front and the bus can hide a vehicle in the opposite direction.

In case of evacuation:

You must follow the instructions: leave the bus in single file, calmly and move away from the vehicle in a group, paying attention to traffic.

The evacuation must not last more than 30 seconds.

In the event of blockage of the doors: it is necessary to pass by the emergency exits or to break the windows with the adapted hammer.