How do you teach preschoolers about road safety?

Preschoolers often neglect the traffic signs and just cross the street without looking right
to left and it makes them more prone to most accidents’ cases in the country. There are about
11 children who are killed every hour due to traffic-related accidents (Philstar.com,2005), and
up until now the numbers of children experiencing road accidents are increasing. “Since you
woke up in this morning or maybe for the past three hours, 33 children have died because of
accidents, while 100 others have been hospitalized and 300 more suffered minor injuries.”
(Consunji). If we look at the numbers of children suffering and going in these traumatic
situations, we cannot just sit idly not doing anything to decrease these numbers. “Most of them
are healthy kids. Many years of life ahead of them to be productive citizens of this country.”
(Consunji). Indeed, those children will have a better and a productive life if it weren’t for any
road accidents that lead them to perished in this world. In the contrary, what will the
government do to limit that accidents happening in the country and to protect our children’s?
Every third week of June, the National Kids Safety Week is held and this year is no exception. It
was mandated by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Presidential Proclamation 1307 in
an effort to promote road safety among children. In celebration of the National Kids Safety
Week this year, Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines has partnered with different government
agencies and elementary students to launch the Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention Program
Coalition. The program was launched with the goal of raising awareness of road-related
accidents and helping to make roads safer for children, particularly those who travel to and
from school. In Metro Manila alone, two children die per day due to road-related incidents,
according to the Department of Health (DOH). “Road safety is a shared responsibility. In as
much as the government has the responsibility to design and implement laws that protect lives
and prevent injuries, individuals and road users — kids and their parents — we have a
responsibility to adhere to the laws as a condition of use,” said DOH undersecretary Dr. Ronaldo
Domingo. Although vehicles play a major role in keeping the streets safe, Domingo says that the
roads should also be used properly by pedestrians. Instead of just crossing any street or walking
on the road, pedestrians should use the designated crosswalks, sidewalks and overpasses for
their own safety as well as for the kids. As motorists, we also have a great responsibility for the
safety of children on the road. We not only have to obey the rules on the lane, but new laws
have been implemented. So the recent effort made by the government to keep the children
safe on the road is through Republic Act No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act
which was signed into law by President Duterte last February 22. This law aims to safeguard
children and infants riding in vehicles from serious injury or death in case of an accident. Its
states that children below 12 years old should be secures in a ‘child restraint system or a child
seat when on the road.’
The government are trying their best to protect our children by making this effective
law. What we can do is to obey the law, give our children some knowledge about how the
traffic lights signs works, to train them how to be a good citizen and to inform them what will
be the outcome if they neglect roads rules and regulations. Ignorance is not a bliss; you are just
running away from the responsibility given to you by not knowing anything. So, before its too
late, teach the children.