Road Safety recommendations in schools

To identify road safety situations and help prevent accidents, Fundación MAPFRE has developed a guide to improve road safety in school settings. In drawing up the guide we have relied on studies such as the one carried out in the Coruña town of Narón, and the collaboration of parents and teachers.

This guide contains a series of measures and recommendations that help to minimize the risk of accidents when traveling to school.

Some of these tips are aimed directly at children, as they play a crucial role in their own safety. By helping them to understand them, we will ensure that the children themselves avoid most of the risky situations they may face:

• First of all, before crossing the road it is very important to look both ways, then look a second time in the direction of traffic to make sure that no vehicle is approaching.
• If a vehicle stops for you at a pedestrian crossing, establish visual contact with the driver so that he or she knows when you have finished crossing.
• When traveling as a pedestrian, children must always stay on the sidewalk and refrain from walking along the edge or playing or running recklessly.
• When using the bus, it is important to get to the bus stop in plenty of time; under no circumstances should you run alongside it to try to stop it. Before getting on, wait until the door is completely open and the driver gives his or her permission.
• If you use a bicycle, remember that it is mandatory to wear a helmet both inside and outside towns, and when riding in poor light outside the city you should always wear a reflective vest to improve visibility (we recommend that you also wear the vest in daylight and in towns).

In all cases, we must never forget that road safety also applies to the inside of vehicles. Taking advantage of the beginning of the new school year, make sure you have everything you need in the car to carry children and follow the basic advice:

• Children up to 135 cm in height should always travel in the most appropriate child seat or booster seat.
• Although using child seats is key to preventing serious injury in the event of an accident, it is not the only action to take. It is essential that children are seated facing backwards for at least their first year of life. After this time, we recommend that you continue to seat them facing backwards. Some child seats let you use this position up to the age of three or four.
• Children should preferably travel in the rear seats and always as far away as possible from the front and side airbags.

Following these tips can prevent up to 95 percent of serious injuries that could otherwise be caused to children in the event of an accident.

For more information on child restraint systems, visit our section on the safest child seats.