What You Can Do
Your role as a parent
As a parent, you have a significant impact on your child’s safety — particularly when it comes to transportation. Your attitude in the car and around traffic plays an important role in shaping your son’s or daughter’s attitudes and ultimately their safety. There are a number of things you can do to help ensure your child arrives safely at school while fostering good, lifelong habits and attitudes relating to exercise and the environment.
Modelling safe behaviours
Did you know that children start to learn to drive years before they turn 16? In fact, research has shown that children observe their parent’s driving behaviours from a very early age. Not surprisingly, those who model safe behaviours in the car, wind up teaching their children positive attitudes and safer behaviours that can last a lifetime.
So...next time you wonder whether it’s worth buckling up just to go a few blocks to a nearby store, think again. Speeding, not stopping at stop signs, getting angry at other road users...these are just a few examples of lessons you likely don’t want to teach your children!
Work with others
Before you go any further, take a look at The Problem. If you already have and you’ve checked out The Solutions, you probably already have some ideas. Talking with others is a good first step — it’s always much easier to work with others when you want to change something.
- Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) — Does your child’s school or district have a PAC? If so, that’s a great place to begin. Perhaps there are others who are concerned. Why not talk to them about some of your concerns regarding traffic congestion, reduced air quality and fitness? The school’s principal and teachers may share your concerns and may be happy to team up with the school’s PAC to work towards some positive changes.
- Neighbourhood solutions — If there is no PAC or if you prefer to start out small, talk to neighbouring parents about your concerns and see what they think about some of your ideas. For example, you might want to consider setting up a walking school bus from your immediate neighbourhood. If you are currently carpooling, you might want to try a walking pool once or twice a week to start. (Go to The Solutions for more information.)
Don't forget to buckle them in
If you are car pooling to and from school or to other events, it’s important that everyone in the car is properly restrained by a seat belt or appropriate child safety seat. Starting July 1, 2008, new regulations will take effect. These new regulations will strengthen the existing ones to provide more protection for children in BC. They will require all drivers to be responsible for transporting children in an age-and weight-appropriate child safety seat.
Why wait until July 2008? Adopt the new regulations today to protect the children in your vehicle. Ensure that your child is always properly restrained - no matter who is driving. Children who have outgrown their forward-facing child safety seat should use booster seat until they are 9 years old unless they have reached the height of 145cm (4'9") tall. Go to What the Law Says for more information.