In Alberta, there are an average of 8,608 emergency department visits and 461 hospital admissions each year among children and youth that are related to traffic safety.¹ 

These injuries were due to incidents involving bicycles, walking, and riding in motor vehicles. Traffic-related injuries such as concussions, other traumatic brain injuries, abrasions, bruises, cuts and lacerations, and fractures to both the arms and legs can be serious and life altering. In some instances, traffic-related injuries can be fatal. The good news is that most of these injuries are predictable and preventable.

We are all road users as we participate in our daily activities. We travel to work and school, attend appointments and social engagements, shop for groceries and other items, and walk or ride bicycles for recreation and exercise. As road users, it is important that we all understand the traffic rules and practice good traffic safety behaviours as pedestrians, drivers, passengers and cyclists - this makes sure everyone arrives at their destination safely!

There are things adults, parents, and caregivers can do to keep children safe and to teach them to be safe road users. Key strategies to promote traffic safety behaviours among children include the following:

1. Support traffic calming initiatives such as road design or re-engineering strategies that encompass safety for all road users, and those that reduce speed limits in high pedestrian areas like school zones.

2. Teach children pedestrian and road safety. Use the Bike Safe, Walk Smart K to 3 Crossing the Street and / or the Bike Safe, Walk Smart -Sidewalk Safety videos from Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) to help explain.

a. Explain to children the steps to safely cross the road:

i. Stop at the edge of the road.
ii. Look and listen for traffic. Look left, look right and then look left again. When the road is clear or all cars have come to a full stop, cross quickly and keep watching for cars.
iii. Be extra cautious during bad weather and at night.

b. Always use crosswalks and follow pedestrian signals. But even at these locations remind children to always look left, look right and then look left again before crossing.
c. Children may assume that if they can see a vehicle, the driver of the vehicle can see them. This may not be true. Teach children to make eye contact with the driver of the vehicle to make sure that they can see them.
d. Encourage children to walk on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, teach children to walk off of the road, in a single file, and facing traffic. This will help increase their visibility to oncoming drivers.
e. Ensure children know that during times of low light or decreased visibility due to rain, fog or snow, drivers may not see pedestrians. It is important to dress in bright colours and use reflective patches, bands, etc. and be alert to drivers who may not see them.

3. Teach children how to travel safely in motor vehicles including passenger vehicles and buses.

a. In a passenger vehicle:

i. Using a correctly-fitting seat belt is one of the best ways to protect everyone riding in a vehicle. Once a child is at least 145 cm (4 feet 9 inches) tall and between 8 and 12 years of age, they can move from a booster seat to just a seat belt. Ensure that the lap portion of the seat belt stays low and snug across the hips and the shoulder belt crosses the chest and stays between the shoulder and the neck. Use of seat belts and/or appropriate child safety restraints are required by law in Alberta.
ii. The back seat is the safest place for children to ride. Children should not ride in the front seat until they are at least 13 years old.²
iii. Driving requires the full attention of the driver. Children should avoid distracting the driver.

b. Review safety practices around bus stops and for riding buses.

i. Stand five giant steps away from the road while waiting for the bus and as it stops for loading.
ii. Board the bus single file, don't push or run for seats.
iii. Keep heads, hands and arms inside the bus, not out the windows.
iv. Listen to the directions from the bus driver.
v. Teach children to stay out of the school bus danger zone. These are areas around the bus where children can not be seen by the driver (about 3 metres or 10 feet around the bus). A good rule of thumb is if a child can touch the bus and/or can not see the driver, they are in the danger zone.
vi. If a child is leaving a school bus with a stop sign and red flashing lights, they should walk 10 steps ahead before crossing in front of the bus. They need to make sure the driver sees them by making eye contact with the driver. Next they need to check to make sure traffic has stopped in both directions before crossing the road. If a child is leaving any other type of bus, they must walk to the nearest crosswalk or intersection to cross the street. They must not cross in front of a city bus.

4. Provide children with the skills to be confident, safe cyclists.

a. A child’s bike must be adjusted to fit properly. The seat should be at a height that when the child is sitting on the seat, their knee should be slightly bent when the foot is on the pedal at the bottom of the rotation. The child should be able to touch the ground when straddling the bike.

i. Tires must be properly inflated and the brakes must work.
ii. In Alberta, all bikes must have a bell or horn.

b. Everyone under the age of 18 who is operating or riding as a passenger on a bicycle must wear a safety helmet. For more information about helmets and helmet fitting see the module on Concussion & Other Head Injuries.
c. Beginning cyclists are often a bit wobbly and are still developing their bike handling skills. Children need an opportunity to practice their skills in parks or other quiet non-traffic locations so they can focus on learning to handle their bikes over different terrain, how to steer around objects, navigate safely at different speeds and stop quickly. Use this video to explain elements of bike safety Bike Safe, Walk Smart K to 3 Getting Ready to Ride.
d. Communities have different rules about when bicycles can be ridden on the sidewalk. Check with your municipality to determine when / if cycling is allowed on sidewalks.
e. Adult supervision is needed for children who are just starting to ride their bikes especially in traffic. As a child’s skills develop, parents / caregivers should ride with them to assess their skills and determine if they are ready to ride independently in traffic areas. Teach children basic traffic safety rules:

i. Where possible use a designated bike lane.
ii. Use hand signals to indicate when they are turning, slowing down, or stopping.
iii. Recognize basic traffic signs and signals and understand what actions to take when they see them.
iv. Cyclists must travel in the same direction as traffic and usually in the lane closest to the curb.
v. At intersections, driveways, laneways, always expect vehicles to be present. Stop, check both directions for traffic and proceed when it is safe.