1. Cross the street on the corner – not in the middle of the block. Drivers expect to see people at intersections.  The lights in the traffic signal slow or stop traffic.  Always be careful when crossing.
2. Look for traffic on the road beside you at an intersection. Oncoming traffic may turn in front of you without much notice. Keep looking as you cross. Be listening for traffic, too.
3. Walk, don’t run across streets. When you run, you have no time to react to a car about to hit you. The car has no time to react to you either. Cars may not see you running until you’re right in front of them.
4. Make eye contact with drivers before you cross in front if their car.  That way, you will know they will see you.  If a driver isn’t looking around to see you because they are on their phone or distracted, stay put.  Wait for the driver to move ahead before you cross.
5. Walk on sidewalks or paths. If there are no sidewalks and you have to walk on the side of the road, walk on the left side so you can see oncoming traffic.
6. The quickest route is not always the safest. If your child routinely walks to school or to a friend’s house, take the time to map the safest route with them – and explain why.
7. Treat driveways just like roads. That means stop and look to make sure there are no cars backing out or pulling into driveways.  Look for hidden driveways and alleys.  Some driveways are hidden by bushes or fencing.
8. Be on high alert near train tracks. Even though trains are loud, headphones and ear buds can block out the sounds of a train, even when it’s blowing its horn. Only cross at marked railroad crossings.  Never try to cross the tracks if a train is coming.  When the train is coming, stand at least 10 giant steps or 20 feet away from the tracks.  Wait for all signals to end, even if they seem to be taking a long time.
9. When you get off of the school bus, cross in front of the school bus to get to the other side of the street. Make sure you are at least 10 feet or 5 giant steps in front of the bus so the driver can see you.  If you can’t see the driver, they can’t see you.
10. Never cross the street in front of a public bus. City buses can’t stop traffic.  Wait until the bus pulls away, then walk to the closest crosswalk or corner to cross the street.

Childrenswi.org/safetycenter
safetycenter@childrenswi.org