If you are a parent/guardian of a child attending Year 1 this year, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) wishes to remind you to teach your child the importance of road safety. We urge you to develop and practice road and traffic awareness to protect your child from road traffic incidents.
We urge parents/guardians to teach the following important road safety tips:
On the pavement
When walking near a road it is a good idea to:
- hold your child's hand - don't let them run ahead
- look out for and encourage your child to be aware of hidden entrances or driveways crossing the pavement
- make sure your child walks on the side of the pavement away from the traffic
Crossing the road
When crossing:
- always set a good example by choosing a safe place to cross and explaining what you're doing
- let your child help you decide where and when it's safe to cross
- tell your child that it's safest to cross at a pedestrian crossing or a crossing patrol
- tell your child not to cross where they can't see far along the road
- explain that they should not try to cross a road between parked cars; drivers won't be able to see them very well and the cars might start moving
- cross at traffic lights when it signals for pedestrians to cross
- remind your children to concentrate - they may be easily distracted, forget what they have been taught and dash out onto the road
- make sure that anyone else looking after your child follows the same road safety rules
Pedestrian crossings
You might feel that pedestrian crossings are safe, but they can still be dangerous for children if they don't take care.
Remember to:
- explain that pedestrians have to wait on the pavement until all traffic coming from both directions have stopped - only then is it safe to cross
- explain that if there is an island in the middle of the road, your child should treat each half of the crossing as a separate crossing
- tell your child that it's important to keep looking and listening while crossing, in case a driver has not seen them
- warn your child to watch for cyclists or motorcyclists who might not have seen them
Samuel Simpson
Chief Executive Officer
Contact us on Tel: 339 2166 or Toll Free: 0800 334 2886
Email: help@lta.com.fj or Visit our website: www.lta.com.fj