road safety
Professional / Ethical Practice Road Safety As Romeo has suffered a broken leg due to being hit by a car outside his school it is felt that it is important to address the issue of road safety. This section will be looking at the statistics in relation to road accidents involving child pedestrians and will provide information about the government campaigns that are in place to try to prevent such accidents. In addition, this section will look at the health promotion resources that are available to health professionals, teachers and parents regarding road safety for children. Statistics Road traffic accidents are the biggest single cause of accidental death amongst children and young people. ... Teens think they are more likely to be mugged, bullied or offered drugs than involved in a road accident - but almost one in two know of someone their own age who’s been involved in a road accident. ... One in four teenagers chat on their mobile phone while crossing the road. Around one in five teenagers text on their mobile phone while crossing the road. ... Theyre often in a hurry and, once theyre familiar with the route, they take more risks, forgetting that the road conditions change. ... It is only when he rushes across a main road to catch up with his girlfriend, and an approaching car passes through him, that we realise he is dead and the person we can see is his ghost. ... Resources As healthcare professionals there is a duty to promote health and safety for our patients. As Romeo was involved in a road accident outside his school it would be of benefit to him and his parents to take part in some activities in relation to road safety. ... Factsheet: Teaching your child road safety Teaching your child road safety is vital to them staying safe as they become more independent. The risk of a child pedestrian being involved in a road accident rises significantly at the age when they start school and, up until the age of nine, most children cannot judge how fast vehicles are going or how far away they are. Below are a number of guidelines on how to teach your child road safety as they grow up, from good in-car behaviour to staying safe on rollerblades. ... Never allow your child to ride a bike on the road. ... Always cross the road at the safest place and explain why you are crossing there.