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. Make children aware of the dangers of distraction as a pedestrian or cyclist. Recent research indicates that approximately 1 in 5 high school students engage in distracted walking behaviours while crossing the road² and 51% of teens surveyed reported being hit or almost hit by a vehicle while crossing the road.³ Teach children when crossing the street to:⁴

a. Cross at traffic lights or a marked crosswalk when possible.
b. Look up and put down their phones. If they are wearing headphones, turn the volume down or remove the headphones before crossing the street.
c. Make eye contact with drivers.
d. Be alert and watch for traffic all the way across the road.
e. Be visible. At night or in poor weather pedestrians can be difficult to see. Dress in light coloured clothing and use reflective tape, bands, etc.
f. For cyclists, in Alberta, they must follow the same laws as motorists. This means that the distracted driving law applies. Cyclists must not use hand-held cell phones, text or email, or enter information on GPS units while riding or waiting at red lights.
g. The ICBC Road Safety Manual Grade 6 has an activity about 'Travelling through distractions' (p. 39) that can be used in the gym or on the playground.

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

a. Using a correctly fitting seat belt is one of the best ways to protect everyone riding in a vehicle. 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 by all occupants in a vehicle is required by law in Alberta.
b. Driving requires the full attention of the driver. Children should avoid distracting the driver.
c. The ICBC Road Safety Manual Grade 6 has an Activity about 'Buckling Up' that can be used to demonstrate why seat belts are important.

4. Provide children with the skills to be confident, safe cyclists.⁵

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. 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.
d. When riding on the street, cyclists are considered to be operating a motor vehicle therefore, they must obey all traffic laws. To ride safely:

i. Where possible use a designated bike lane.
ii. Use hand signals to indicate when turning, slowing down, or stopping.
iii. Recognize basic traffic signs and signals and understand what actions to take when they see them.
iv. 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. Check both directions for traffic and proceed when it is safe.
vi. Ride defensively, anticipate the actions of others on the road. Watch for car doors opening, pedestrians darting out, and potholes, grates or other debris on the road which could cause you to veer or crash.
vii. Wear bright and high visibility clothing and / or reflective clothing or bands.
viii. When riding at night, ensure your bike has a front white headlight, a red tail light, and a red rear reflector.

e. NHTSA's Bike Safe, Bike Smart video is a useful resource that can be used to demonstrate Bicycle Safety.
f. Use the above video to help the class understand how to use hand signals when riding their bike on the road. Explain to them that when they ride on the road they must follow all of the traffic signs and signals just like vehicles. They also need to know how to signal what they are doing so that road users they are sharing the road with will know what they are doing. There are hand and arm signals you can use when riding a bike to show that you are stopping, turning left and turning right.