For a child or teenager, the journey to and from school may be filled with excitement, dread or a wide range of other emotions. Whether your child is headed to take a test or give a presentation, to try out for a sports team or the school play, or simply to learn something they didn’t know yesterday, they should always know how to get to where they’re going safely.
Children who walk or bike to school, and teens who start driving, should understand not only the dangers that they may encounter on the road, but also the traffic rules that motorists will expect them to follow. While adult drivers may take it for granted that a kid on a bike will know to stop at a stop sign, a young bicyclist may think that rules for cars don’t apply to them. Knowing when it’s okay to cross the street, who should go first at a four-way intersection and how to signal a turn are just a few of the other rules that kids should be taught to stay safe when they’re in charge of their own travel.
To help teachers and other responsible adults to guide elementary schoolers, middle schoolers and high schoolers on what they should expect and look out for during their daily commute, Florida has established the Florida Traffic & Bicycle Safety Education Program (FTBSEP). With curricula and programs tailored to specific age groups, FTBSEP can be a great resource for families and the community as a whole. Lessons include videos that show students how a rule is followed properly or how a skill is performed, so that they have a clear example to emulate. The FTBSEP also provides supplemental materials to help teachers make each lesson interactive and informative.
The FTBSEP also offers free workshops to law enforcement officers, fire rescue and EMT workers, parks employees, and other community professionals that provide hands-on lessons for pedestrian and bicycle safety. When a child is able to learn by practicing rather than just listening and seeing, the lessons tend to be more strongly reinforced. Participating in a workshop can empower anyone to share their new knowledge and help make their community a safer place.
Children are resilient, but a child who is hit by a car when walking or biking to school may suffer from lasting emotional and physical trauma. At Largey Law, our attorneys in Tavares, Clermont and Inverness are committed advocates for children, and so it is with care and persistence that we represent them when they’re injured by careless or otherwise negligent drivers. For a free initial consultation on how we can help young victims of traffic accidents, contact us online.
