Can you spot the child? Parents issued a stark warning with picture that proves children should never wear black clothing
- Extra precautions should be taken as winter is fast approaching in the UK
- READ MORE: Experts reveal the lessons EVERY parent should teach their child
With darker evenings fast approaching, parents have been warned against dressing their children in black clothing that makes them difficult for motorists to spot.
While the focus is often on wrapping children up in warm clothes for the cold conditions, a thought-provoking image has demonstrated the importance of wearing brighter coats.
The picture, originally created by Christian Thomas of the Swiss Expert Council For Road Safety, highlights the difference that coloured clothing can make on a child – and it could be a matter of life and death.
The photo campaign, which has resurfaced online. presents viewers with two scenarios that are identical except for one difference.
Set in damp and grey conditions, the images show a roadside scenario from the perspective of a driver in their car.
The picture, originally created by Christian Thomas, highlights the difference that coloured clothing can make on a child
In each image there is a child standing on the pavement ready to cross the road.
The child in the top picture is dressed in a bright yellow raincoat with red wellington boots – making them clear to see from the driver’s point of view.
In the second instance, the conditions are identical, except that the child is dressed in all-black attire.
However, this small difference makes the child almost impossible to see while they are camouflaged against a tree, waiting to cross the road.
If the child was to step out onto the road, the driver would struggle to spot the them – increasing the likelihood of an accident.
In another version of the photo, the child is much easier to spot – wearing bright a bright yellow jacket
It comes after a former Australian paramedic gave her top tips for keeping kids safe around traffic and teaching them about road safety.
Tiny Hearts Education founder Nikki Jurcutz said she ‘ingrained’ road safety habits into her children from ‘the moment they could walk’ teaching them to always hold an adult’s hand and wait for the green man and ‘funny noise’ when crossing the street.
She also said there are steps parents can take to ‘reduce the risk of an accident to absolute zero’ including having the person staying home with the kids wave goodbye with them as you reverse out of the drive way.
How to teach young kids road safety and reduce accidents
Hold their hand to cross the street every time, from the very beginning.
Describe what you’re doing when you cross the road ( for example: ‘stop, look left for cars and bikes, right, left again. Can’t see any, can’t hear any; safe to cross with an adult’).
Always cross at a crossing where possible.
When out walking, explain things like you have to wait for the green man on the crossing sign.
Teach them to stop a few steps back from the curb edge instead of right on it.
Get the youngest child out of the car first and carry them before getting the older one out, so they don’t run while your back is turned.
Walk-behind the car before reversing to triple check it’s clear.
Whoever is staying at home with the kids waves goodbye from the door or porch while the other reverses to reduce the risk of an accident to absolute zero.
The kids don’t play in the driveway or around our cars, ever.
Hold hands when crossing the street or in a carpark every single time.
Emphasise once a ball leaves the grassed area, we stop chasing it.
Talk about road safety and demonstrate how to cross the road safely because kids model what they see.
‘In 2018, of all the kids who passed away due to some form of road traffic accident, 29 per cent were pedestrians, and 5.9 cent were riding their bikes,’ the mum-of-two wrote in an Instagram post.
‘Those numbers are just too high, and while they may have been exactly that, accidents; road-aware kids come from proactive parents who take the time to teach them.’
Nikki lists the way she taught her kids, Nahla and Wolfe, about road safety starting with holding their hand to cross the street every time from the very beginning.
She also advised describing to your little one what you’re doing when you cross the road like telling them to stop and look right for cars and bikes, left and right again.
Thirdly, the parenting guru said to teach them always cross at a zebra or traffic light crossing where possible, only go when the green man appears and stop to wait a few steps back from the curb.
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