Get street smart
Tuesday 7 November 2006
If you want to get somewhere, the chances are you're going to have to cross a road or two.
Most of us take it for granted that we'll make it across, but an increasing number of young people aren't taking care on the roads, and it's costing them big time.
Statistics
Most of us take it for granted that we can get across the road, but statistics released by road safety charity Brake show that not everybody's in the know: a child is killed or injured while walking or cycling in the UK every 31 minutes.
A survey by Brake also says that 52 per cent of young people feared for their safety while out and about on the roads.
Taking care
Even if you've heard it all before, it's worth checking out these tips to staying safe on the roads:
- Don't trust traffic: it's the biggest killer of teenagers.
- If you're not sure that it's safe to cross, don't.
- Don't just follow your mates into the road; look for yourself.
- Concentrate on getting across the road; you can't text and cross at the same time.
- Never play in roads or run into the road for a dare
- Don't cross near a bend, where you can't see what is coming.
- Just because you're on a zebra or pelican crossing doesn't mean you're totally safe; watch out for traffic here, too.
Safety first
Staying safe on the roads isn't just for kids; anyone who doesn't take care when crossing or using a road is at risk.
For more information on crossing the road with no bother, take a look at what road safety charity Brake has to say.
