Hello my name is Pumper and I work for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. You may have met me when I gave you some fire safety advice about barbecues and bonfires with my friend Beep.
Today I'm going to talk to you about being safe on the roads that means when you are walking, in a car or cycling. I'd also like you to tell your grown-ups everything that you will learn about road safety so they can keep you safe and too.
We're going to look at crossing the road first. It's really important to find a safe place to cross the road. There are places where you should and shouldn't cross. How many can you think of in 30 seconds? Are you ready, steady, go!
That's ten seconds already...
You've got 10 seconds left...
So here are the answers. How many of these did you get? You may have thought of other places which is really good. It shows you know how to keep yourself safe when you're crossing the road.
If there is no crossing nearby, stop at a place where you can see along the road clearly and where traffic can see you clearly. So, safe places to cross the road are:
- puffin crossings
- pelican crossings
- zebra crossings
- foot bridges
- school crossing patrols
- traffic islands
- and where there are no parked cars.
Make sure that you don't cross where there are bends in the road, corners, between parked cars, behind a car or any other vehicle, where you can't see the traffic, where the traffic can't see you and, where there is no pavement.
So remember to do all this when you want to cross the road.
You've got to stop and look around. You've got to look and listen for traffic, and you cross only when it's safe. Remember to wait for traffic to stop. If you see traffic coming you have to let it go past. You walk you do not run across the road. You have to walk straight across the road, not diagonally. Always keep looking and listening all the time you cross the road, just to keep an eye out for the traffic. Please make sure you're not using your mobile phone or chatting to friends when you cross the road because that is a distraction. Always concentrate on crossing the road and be aware of the traffic at all times.
I know that was a lot of information and lots of things to remember but I'm sure that you know most of it anyway. Always take care when you're walking and crossing a road. Next time you go for a walk look out for the places near you that are safe places to cross. Talk to your grown-ups about what to do, that will help you remember and remind them what to do too.
Now we're going to look at how to keep safe when you're in a car. Are you ready?
We're not going to go too quickly and we're going to concentrate. That's what grown-ups should be doing when they drive, it makes being out on the road a safer place to be for everyone.
Unfortunately, our firefighters have to go to a lot of road traffic collisions or RTC's and they have to rescue people from their cars. It's not a very nice part of their job and makes them really sad because sometimes people are badly hurt and have to go to hospital. One of the reasons for this is because they are not wearing a seat belt.
So the first thing we're going to talk about is seat belts.
I'm going to ask you a few questions. Do you always wear a seat belt? Do your grown-ups always wear a seat belt?
Did you know, that if you are under a hundred and thirty five centimetres tall you should have a special seat when you're in the car? Have you got one?
I hope you've answered yes to all those questions I'll be really happy if you have.
In the fire service we know how important it is to wear seat belts because seat belts save lives and we want you to remember that too. Always make sure you put your seatbelt on before the car sets off. Make sure you wear a seat belt for every journey whether it be a short journey or a long journey. Check that everyone else has also got their seatbelt on in the front, in the back, children and adults.
You must make sure that you never undo your seatbelt on a journey and neither does anybody else. Finally, as we've said the law says you have to always use a special seat, if you don't, the seatbelt can't do its job.
So, we've seen how important it is to wear a seatbelt when we're in the car.
On the next slide is a list of what people should and shouldn't do when they're in a car, in a lorry, in a van or in any vehicle. Which ones do you think are mostly for you and other passengers, and which is for the driver? Are there any which are for both the passenger and the driver?
So, all I want you to do is decide whether it is the driver, the passenger or both who should or shouldn't do these things.
Do not play around, argue or shout and scream in the car as the driver cannot concentrate properly. So is that driver, the passenger or is that both? Do you get the idea?
- Drive carefully and be aware of other drivers.
- Never throw anything out of a car window.
- Don't go over the speed limits and drive too fast
- Don't drink alcohol and then drive.
- Don't wave or lean through an open car window.
- Do not open car doors or windows unless a grown-up has told you it is safe to do so.
- Don't use your mobile phone.
- Always get out of the car using the door which is nearest to the pavement.
- Don't drive if you're tired.
- Always wear a seatbelt.
I think you probably know the answers to most of them. Chat with your grownups and see what they think.
Well, that was pretty easy wasn't it. I'm sure you got them all right. It's important that you always say something if you don't feel safe when a grown-up is driving. By you saying something you will keep yourself safe, you'll keep your grown-up safe and it will keep other people safe. It also helps the fire service because we then won't have to rescue people from crashed cars which makes us sad and upset.
Finally, we're going to look at bicycles and scooters. I'm sure over the last few weeks you've been out with your family on bikes and scooters in lots of different places. I really hope you've thought about how you can go out and be safe. Look at the next few slides and see if you did all this when on your bicycle or scooter.
So, this is what you should do.
- Only cycle or scooter where you're allowed
- Be aware of other road users such as cars lorries or buses they won't always be able to see you.
- Keep away from traffic if you can and use a cycle path.
- If you're on the pavement be aware of pedestrians, get off your bike and scooter and walk.
- Always have both hands on handlebars and don't do any tricks.
- Wear bright and reflective clothing even during the day and make sure you have lights for night as well.
- Wear a helmet. You can always replace your helmet but you can't replace your head.
I'm sure you do all of this, so well done. Make sure others do it too it's important to look after each other and be safe.
We've looked at lots of ways to be safe when using the road. If there is anything that you, your grownups or friends and family are not doing it's important to change what you do and also what they do, to help keep everyone much safer when using the roads. There are some activities that you can do which can be found on our website.
Thank you for helping to make our roads safer places to be.
