Attention, children!

School holidays will be over very soon, and children are starting to return to the cities. During the three months of summer, many of them had become unaccustomed to the intensity of urban traffic, and some had forgotten the traffic regulations and rules of safe behavior on the road. Izvestia found out how to protect a child from potential road hazards.

Dangerous time

The beginning of autumn is one of the riskiest periods of the year in terms of child traffic injuries, according to the State Traffic Inspectorate. As practice shows, during the summer holidays in the camp or just outside the city, children get used to urban traffic, they manage to forget the rules of safe behavior on the road. Even though during the summer holidays, car inspectors in camps and children's sanatoriums, along with teachers and counselors, constantly remind them of these rules, hold various contests and quizzes on knowledge of traffic regulations.

Nevertheless, according to psychologists, it takes some time for children to get used to the changed environment again. It usually takes about a month. During this period, the main task of adults is to help the child adapt to new conditions as quickly as possible.

Tell and show

According to the State Traffic Inspectorate, in seven months the number of accidents involving child pedestrians decreased by 4.6% compared to the same period last year. But at the same time, 64 children died in such car accidents, which is 12.3% more than a year earlier.

In order to protect young pedestrians from such accidents, parents need to constantly have conversations with their child on the topic of safe behavior on the road, according to the State Traffic Inspectorate. At the same time, they emphasize that the banal "stop at red, go to green" is not enough. According to Anton Belan, deputy head of the propaganda department of the State Traffic Inspectorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, police Colonel, in order for a child to cross the road safely, adults need to convey to him a detailed algorithm of actions. After all, even a permissive traffic light signal does not provide a 100% guarantee of safety.

— It is necessary that the child, crossing the street, act according to the "stand —look — listen — think — go" scheme. This means that he must definitely stop in front of a pedestrian crossing, take off his headphones and lower his hood to increase the viewing angle and be able to hear approaching vehicles. Further, without leaving the roadway, it is necessary to look several times in both directions of the road, and also listen for the noise of an approaching car. Only after analyzing the traffic situation and making sure that there is no danger, you can cross the road with a confident step, also continuing to look left and right, assessing the situation, recommends Anton Belan.

All this parents should not only tell the child, but also be sure to show in practice, says the chairman of the All-Russian public children's and youth organization for the promotion of road safety "Young traffic Inspectors" Valentina Kulbitskaya.

— Many parents sincerely believe that their child knows the traffic rules, because they discussed them at home. But in fact, it turns out that children often do not know how to apply this knowledge in a real situation: a simple conversation is not enough. Building sustainable skills requires regular work. Only daily reminders, discussions, and the personal example of adults help a child truly learn the rules and feel confident on the road," she notes.

On the eve of the new school year, as well as during the first school days, parents need to remind their children of traffic regulations and update the "home—school—home" travel route, the Russian Ministry of Education strongly recommends.

— We pay special attention to this problem of parents and teachers of our future first graders. For them, the process of not only studying at school, but also gaining new knowledge and skills as road users is becoming new," the department notes.

It is necessary to walk the route with the child several times from home to an educational institution, section, circle and back, even if he is already studying or attending a particular circle for several years, the Traffic police advise. It is possible that over the summer there could be changes in the organization of traffic: a new traffic light could appear on the route, an underground one opened instead of a ground crossing. All these changes, as well as how to behave on the road, taking them into account, parents must necessarily convey to the child, focusing his attention on them, the Traffic police emphasize.

Road traps

Many adults are mistaken in believing that the main danger to a child is the roadway. As a result, they don't pay enough attention to the proper behavior of children on sidewalks and in courtyards. Meanwhile, there are also threats here, the State Traffic Inspectorate notes.

— Vehicles parked in the yard, trees and bushes growing near the house reduce the visibility of both the driver and the child. Therefore, along with explanations and examples of how to behave when crossing the roadway, adults need to pay attention to the safety of their children in the yard. The child needs to be told and shown what a careless exit from behind a parked car, dumpster or growing bushes threatens. He should be clearly aware that in such a situation, in no case should he run out onto the roadway, even if it is in the courtyard," Anton Belan emphasized.

Become brighter

With the end of summer, daylight hours are getting shorter. Soon, many children will have to leave home for school at dusk. And if a child attends a sports section or some kind of club, then return home after dark. A minor, seeing the headlights of a car, may simply not realize that the driver does not notice him: they say, if I see the car, then I can also be seen. The situation worsens during rain or fog.

This is a very dangerous misconception, according to the Traffic Police. According to statistics, in the first seven months of this year, more than 79% of young pedestrians who were run over by cars at night were without reflective elements on their clothes.

— You should not buy dark outerwear for your child — he becomes almost invisible in it at night. The choice should be made on light, bright colors and necessarily with retroreflective elements. They will make the child much more visible to drivers on the street at dusk and in conditions of limited visibility," Anton Belan noted.

On two wheels

Despite the imminent onset of autumn, the weather still allows children and teenagers to ride bicycles and scooters. The State Traffic Inspectorate reminds that children under the age of 14 can ride bicycles only when accompanied by adults. At the same time, they are allowed to ride on sidewalks, pedestrian and bicycle paths for up to seven years, and cyclists over the age of seven can travel along bike paths and within pedestrian zones.

The ministry emphasizes that only persons over the age of 14 are allowed to ride a bicycle onto the roadway and move along its right edge or shoulder if there is no bike path nearby. At the same time, regardless of age, the cyclist must wear protective equipment and retroreflective elements. Bicycle drivers only need to cross the roadway via a pedestrian crosswalk, always on foot, while cycling nearby. Of course, there can be no question of children driving cars, motorcycles, mopeds, ATVs, pit bikes, and so on, the Traffic Police emphasize. Documents and keys to motor vehicles should be kept out of the reach of the child, the department notes.

— A driver's license with an open category M is required to drive a moped and scooter. You can get it after studying at a driving school from the age of 16. At the same time, it is possible to travel on a moped on public roads only in a motorcycle helmet. As for pit bikes, they are basically prohibited from driving on public roads," Anton Belan reminded.

The trip is in "child mode"

Many parents, in order to protect their children from road hazards, take them to school by car. Of course, it is safer, but only if the requirements for transporting children are fully met and traffic regulations are strictly observed, the State Traffic Inspectorate notes. Otherwise, the danger to the child does not go away — according to statistics, most of the child passengers who died or were injured in an accident were transported in compliance with the established rules of transportation, but the drivers violated other provisions of the traffic regulations.

The agency reminds that a child under the age of seven is allowed to be transported only in a child restraint device. If a child is over seven years old, but because of his height or weight, the child car seat is no longer enough for him, then he can ride in the back passenger seat. But at the same time, he must always be fastened with a regular seat belt so that the diagonal strap runs over his chest, and not over his neck.

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However, it is not enough just to put a child in a child car seat: if there are children in the car, the driver needs to switch to a special, "child mode" of transport management, the State Traffic Inspectorate emphasizes. It implies triple attention to the road situation, the rejection of sudden maneuvers and unnecessary changes, the exclusion of overtaking, even if it is allowed by road signs and markings, the traffic police remind.

— When a child is in the car, the driver should drive as carefully as possible, increase the distance and side interval, choose the speed mode carefully, do not be distracted from the road by loud music, exclude phone conversations, even using a special headset or smartphone integration with the car's multimedia system. All the driver's attention should be paid to monitoring the traffic situation, traffic lights, road signs and markings, the State Traffic Inspectorate advises.

Be on your guard

When approaching schools, sports, leisure organizations, parks and other places where children may suddenly appear on the road, drivers always need to exercise special caution, the Traffic Police said. With the advent of the new school year in such places, they should maximize their attentiveness, the department emphasizes.

— Motorists in such places need to slow down and be ready to stop the vehicle completely — there is a possibility that a child may be on the roadway at any moment. Also, maximum caution should be exercised in courtyards — in the adjacent territories, you should move at a minimum speed and constantly monitor the situation around the vehicle, especially when maneuvering in reverse," Anton Belan reminded.

All together

Prevention and reduction of the number of accidents involving children is one of the main priorities of the State Traffic Inspectorate. Police officers, together with educational and leisure organizations, as well as with "Young Traffic Inspectors", conduct explanatory conversations and various activities designed to protect minors from the dangers that lie in wait for them on the road.

However, this is not enough: in order to reduce the number of accidents with minors and give the child the opportunity to feel confident and safe on the road, efforts and attention from adults — teachers, educators, drivers - are needed. And the most important role here is played by parents, who, by their own example, should show the child how to behave while participating in traffic, the State Traffic Inspectorate notes.

The material was created as part of the implementation of the federal project "Road Safety" of the national project "Infrastructure for Life".