That's the safe cross code!!!

This week at Little Hands we have been particularly busy, dealing with the most important task of Road Safety.

We all know the importance of teaching our little ones to be safe pedestrians from an early age and we hopefully reinforced some of your good work here this week by giving a class and a practical outing on our grounds. The children did wonderful artwork and had great fun - even getting to hold the Lollipop Lady's stick! We then took them outside and showed them the safe way to cross the road. We always believe they learn so much more when having fun and they sure did - just check out our photos! We would like to recommend you check out the Road Safety Authority's Website RSA.ie yourselves. They have an excellent section for children including a game to teach them the importance of following the Safe Cross Code.

The HSE makes the following recommendations on its website.

• Young children (under 12 years) should never cross the road alone - they cannot judge how far away a car is or how fast it is travelling, they do not understand danger and can not be expected to think safety at all times.
• Always accompany your child when he/she is on or near a roadway.
• Look out  - stand out; always wear hi-vis clothing, especially in the dark or when visibility is poor - be safe be seen with hi-glo silver (RSA) - and carry a torch on country or poorly lit roads.
• Children do as we do, not always as we say. Lead by example when crossing the road:
  • Stop, look and listen
  • Don't try to cross the road between parked cars
  • If possible, cross at a pedestrian crossing or traffic lights
  • Never cross at a bend
• If there is a footpath use it.
• If there is no footpath, walk/run/jog on the right hand side of the road, facing oncoming traffic and keeping as close as possible to the side of the road.
• Walk no more than two abreast and if the road is narrow or there is heavy traffic, walk in single file.
• Carry out practical safety demonstrations with your child to help get important road safety messages across to them - go out walking with your child in your local area, and discuss potential hazards that you may encounter.  This will allow you to find out what your child deems as safe and unsafe and what safety messages you need to reinforce - this will help your child to think safe because you act safe.

• Play the RSA's online Safe Cross Code games with your child.
• Teach your child the rules of the road for pedestrians.

Read the RSA's Going to school - a parent's guide to road safety and their pedestrian safety tips. If any of you are feeling nostalgic about The Safe Cross Code from your youth check out Judge in this youtube link!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEssgMQ1O_k