One of the more important lessons for children is learning the safe way to cross a street. Ideally, everyone including children should only cross streets at designated crosswalks and intersections.
When encountered with a crossing situation, remember these basic rules:
- Stop at the curb, edge of road or corner before crossing.
- Look left, right and left again before crossing.
- Continue watching for traffic in all directions while crossing.
- Always watch for turning vehicles while crossing.
- Take extra care when crossing streets after dark.
And when there are traffic lights and pedestrian signals at a designated crosswalk or intersection, make sure your children learn the instructions associated with the signals:
- A Walk signal and the green traffic light mean it's your turn to cross the street.
- A steady Don't Walk signal means do not start crossing the street.
- A flashing Don't Walk signal also means you should not start crossing.
- If you have already started crossing when the Don't Walk signal flashes, continue walking until you finish crossing.
As your children approach the school grounds, there will more than likely be crossing guards and safety guards to help them cross the street. Make sure your children learn to listen to and respect the crossing guards.
Also, it is important to remember that safety is something children learn from their parents. Take the time to walk with them around your neighborhood and across streets. Ideally, they should not be crossing streets on their own until around the age of 10. Until then, be sure to teach them the safe way to cross the street.
The information above has been provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 
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