The autumn school semester will soon bring a large number of new people to traffic, as first-graders start going to school. Fintraffic and the Finnish Road Safety Council want to remind everyone of the importance of safety on the way to school. As schoolchildren fill the streets, it is important for drivers to pay even more attention to traffic rules and observing their environment. Parents are responsible for teaching their children how to stay safe on the way to school and back.
There are 51,000 new first-graders starting school at the beginning of August. Many of them are out in traffic for the first time without an adult. This means you have to be even more alert behind the wheel.
“Safe traffic always starts with adults. We all need to be alert and cautious, especially when approaching a pedestrian crossing and in areas where there are usually children. The children are practising their traffic skills, and it is up to each of us adults to make sure that stepping on a pedestrian crossing is safe. So, let’s be careful and ready to stop whenever we approach a pedestrian crossing”, reminds Eero Sauramäki, Head of Road Traffic Management Centre at Fintraffic.
Children need experiences of traffic to learn how to act safely. The journey to school is a great way to practise traffic skills in a familiar environment.
“I’d recommend that parents walk or cycle the way to school with their child several times. It’s a good opportunity to go over what to do in different traffic situations and answer any questions your child may have along the way. It’s also important for the child to learn the traffic rules and for the parent to set a safe example with their own behaviour. For example, always remembering to stop if you need to look at your phone during the trip”, continues Planner Laura Väinölä from the Finnish Road Safety Council.
Tips for first-graders’ parents:
- Practice the route several times together with your child.
- Give your child clear and concrete advice on how to act in traffic.
- Agree on shared rules for using your phone during the school journey.
- Set a good example with your own behaviour in traffic.
- Regularly talk with your child about how their school journey is going throughout the school year, especially if the child starts using a different mode of travel.
Check out tips for planning a safe school journey on the Finnish Road Safety Council’s webpages here.
Stay safe!
