Pedestrian Safety
Being a pedestrian can be risky, especially for children in busy cities.
As children’s brains are still developing, they may not fully understand the dangers around them and may be unable to make ‘safe’ decisions crossing the road.
Tips for pedestrian safety:
- STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, THINK
- Teach your child how to cross roads safely. Children must first stop at the curb, look and listen for traffic, and wait for vehicles to stop or pass by before deciding if crossing is safe.
- Hold your child’s hand when you are near traffic.
- Teach children the traffic light colour systems.
To learn more about pedestrian safety, check out our Pedestrian Safety Factsheet.
Driveway Safety
Tragically, on average, one child is run over every week in Australia.
Young children are naturally inquisitive, move surprisingly fast and can run into the path of a moving vehicle without warning.
Always Supervise, Separate and See your children around moving vehicles.
Kidsafe WA recommends:
- Always supervise your children.
- Hold their hand or hold them close to keep them safe when near cars.
- If you need to move a vehicle and you are the only adult around, place your child securely in the vehicle with you while you move it.
- Don’t let your children use the driveway as a play area.
- Make access to the driveway from the house difficult for your children by using security doors, fencing or gates.
- Always walk around the vehicle before moving it.
- Wave goodbye from a safe place – not in the driveway.
To learn how to keep your kids safer on the road, check out A Parent’s Guide to Kidsafe Roads.
Bicycle Safety
On average, over 450 children present to the Perth Children’s Hospital Emergency Department with bicycle injuries each year.
- Children should always wear a helmet that complies with the current Australian Standards.
- A footpath or shared path is the best place for children. Riders must keep left and give way to pedestrians
- Children riding bikes and other small-wheeled devices should wear clothing that is highly visible to road users. This can include the use of reflective tape, reflectors, flashing lights and visibility flags
- Teach children how to cross the road safely and be aware of cars entering or exiting driveways
For more information about bicycle safety, check out our Bicycle Safety Fact Sheet.
