How to Drive Safely Around Children

In this article I'd like to give you some thoughts on how to drive cautiously when children are around. The first thing that I would like to remind you is that kids do not think before they act. They do not realize the dangers that are around them. They get too rapped up in what they are doing and get so excited when they are at play. They do not realize consequences of their actions. With this in mind whenever you are around children you will have to be extra cautious because they will not be looking for you.

The first tip that I would like to give to you is to always look behind your vehicle before you begin to drive. Children are short and we cannot see them if they are behind our vehicle. They also do not realize that your vehicle can move at any time and that you can run them over. It is not unlike children to set up a toy on a drive way to play with. Their set up can be right behind your car. Be sure to take a few seconds even though you might be in a hurry to look before you enter your car. Many times they will leave toys behind the car too. The child might now be there, but the toy will be. This can save a lot of damage to your car if you will just look.

The second tip that I have for you is to watch kids when it comes to school bus zones. Kids will dart out into oncoming traffic so fast. They are so excited to get out of school and begin playing that they are not thinking of the consequences of running across a busy street. Watch for the stop sign on the bus and obey it. You must wait until that stop sign is folded back up into the side of the bus before you can go. Many people disobey this law. You need to be careful on this because you will get a ticket if a police officer sees you leaving before the sign is folded back up.

The third tip that I would like to give to you is to watch kids that ride bicycles in the street. Kids have a tendency to swerve and do tricks. They do not realize that when they are doing their swerving that they are swerving into traffic. Keep an eye out for those little daredevils. They also like to do tricks. They will try to pop wheelies and sometimes they might fall off of their bikes. It will be just your luck because they might fall right in front of your car. So bring your speed limit down and watch closely for them.

The last tip that I have for you is that you must realize that there are invisible crosswalks at every four way corner. If the corners line up with each other then it is considered a crossing area. Children will dart across these areas very quickly. They don't think about their actions because they are in a hurry to get to their friends house. Watch corners like these. Just because there isn't a painted crosswalk does not mean that there is no crosswalk.

Basically, I would encourage you to drive very cautiously if you drive in areas where there are children. These little lives are in our hands. We must drive responsibly so that they can have a good future. In the meantime, we can teach our own children how to act responsibly when it comes to watching traffic. We can also teach them not to sit behind parked cars.