Mornings can be one of the most chaotic times of the day for many parents.

What do you think of when you hear the term ‘school run’? Is it a lovely opportunity for you to walk together with your children having a good chat? Is it a frantic experience trying not to be late every morning? Is it a source of worry as you leave for work early and your teens get themselves to school alone?

Whatever your school run is like, safety is vital. Every day, approximately 3 children under the age of 15 are killed or seriously injured on the UK’s roads. 

Let us just repeat that: EVERY DAY, 3 children are killed or seriously injured.

According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), 28% of all road accidents happen to those under 19 and peak time for pedestrians to be killed or seriously injured is 3-6pm, just when children are coming out of school. 

Whether your children are tiny tots or independent teens, here are Futliit’s top tips created for Readyr to keep children of all ages safe on the school run this winter. 

1. Tiny tots and little kids

One of the most important things you can do as a parent is to start teaching your children road safety as soon as they can walk. Primary schools do a great job in teaching road safety and do regular refresher sessions each year. Check that your child has understood the rules and use every opportunity you can to practise. Kids love showing their knowledge, so ask them to help you choose where to cross the road and how to look for traffic.

2. Be a role model

Children are like sponges; whether you like it or not, they copy everything you do! No matter how tempting, don’t dash across the road in a tiny gap or cross somewhere you can’t see well.

3. Be aware

Teaching your child to be aware of what is going on around them is important, especially when they reach their teenage years and start to travel independently. Constantly looking at a phone screen means they’re not aware of their surroundings or looking at where they’re going. The bright screen can make it hard for their eyes to adjust quickly to the darkness. Wearing headphones can also be hugely distracting. Remind your child to look properly and listen out for traffic and other dangers, particularly as electric cars and bicycles are often almost silent.

4. Be visible

The ONS stats show that the most common reason for car drivers colliding with pedestrians is the ‘driver failed to look properly’, so anything you can do to make your child more visible will help a driver to spot them. 

Younger children could wear something luminous and reflective like a jacket, tabard or hat. But which teen, wanting desperately to fit in at secondary school, wants to wear a bright yellow or pink tabard on the way home?! Consider a Futliit backpack, which has 2 bright white integral LED light strips plus reflective panels to add that extra layer of visibility. Your child can easily turn the lights on when they need to be seen in low light or in the dark.

5. Have a mobile

Giving young teens a mobile is controversial with some parents. But if your child has a long walk or cycle to school, or a journey that involves public transport, a phone can be vital. Both Android and Apple phones also offer great tracking apps such as Life360, Find My Kids or Hoverwatch which allow parents to see where their child is at any time. Great peace of mind and also very useful!

6. Walk or cycle with friends

Encourage your child to travel with their friends. Not only is there safety in numbers, they get the chance to chat and socialise on the way.

Check that your child knows what to do in an emergency. Do they know an alternative route home? Do they know places on the route where they could go to get help? If the worst happened, do they know how to call the police or an ambulance?

Following some of these tips can help you and your family stay safe this winter.