Vulnerabilities of children and young people
Parents and carers are a child’s first and most important teachers. Children naturally learn by watching the adults around them, which is why modelling safe road behaviours every day is essential.
Sharing and reinforcing road safety messages at home helps children build safe habits that protect them now and as they grow into independent travellers and future drivers.
Practise safe habits together
You can support your child by regularly reinforcing and practising:
choosing and using safe travel routes
modelling safe road user behaviour
following road rules and road signs
creating safer environments around your home and school
building skills for independent and safe travel over time
Primary school children
Primary-aged children are still learning to recognise and respond to danger. Even when they seem confident, they need active adult supervision in traffic environments.
Children at this age:
are still developing their ability to judge speed, distance and direction of vehicles
are smaller and less visible to drivers
can be easily distracted and tend to focus on one thing at a time
may know safety rules but find it difficult to apply them consistently
As a parent or carer, it is important to understand your child’s vulnerabilities as a pedestrian, passenger or cyclist, and actively support them to practise safe behaviours.
Learning about danger and safety takes time. With your guidance and consistent practice, children can gradually develop these lifelong skills.
Secondary school students
As children move into secondary school, they become more independent travellers. However, they are still vulnerable in the traffic environment for different reasons, including risk-taking, distractions and increased exposure to complex traffic situations.
Parents and carers play an ongoing role by:
continuing conversations about safe travel choices
reinforcing safe behaviours
helping young people understand risks and responsibilities as road users.
