For parents and caregivers of children age ten and older
You know your child's behavior and abilities best. By age ten, some children are walking with less supervision or alone. Use this checklist to assess your child's skills in walking safely near traffic.
My child:
- Understands that traffic is dangerous.
- Chooses and uses safe crossing sites along all walking routes.
- Always stops at the edge of the road.
- Always looks in all directions before starting to cross.
- Starts crossing when no cars are coming.
- Keeps looking for traffic when crossing.
- Walks directly across the road.
- Uses safe pedestrian behavior in all traffic situations.
If your child has trouble with these steps, go over the following:
- Safe crossing sites have few cars and clear views of traffic.
- Always stop at the edge of the road or the curb to look for traffic.
- It is important to look for cars in all directions before starting to cross.
- It is safest to cross when no cars are coming in any direction. If you are at an intersection with a walk signal, wait until the walk signal appears and then look in all directions for traffic before crossing.
- Keep looking for traffic when crossing to make sure you can see cars coming.
- Walking directly across the street is the safest way to cross.
When walking together, continue to observe your child's behavior. While older children may know the rules, they may not always follow them or may get distracted.