As the long summer holidays draw to a close and the school run starts again  we have some tips for drivers Tips for Drivers: Plan ahead and be alert when driving to the school and take extra care to compensate for the fact that children won’t always be paying attention, and are easily distracted. For drivers this can create dangerous situations on the roads. Be vigilant and alert behind the wheel. You never know when a small child might step out from between parked cars or off a pavement Always yield to pedestrians When dropping children off at school, stop and allow them to exit the vehicle onto the footpath. An  arrangement with other parents  to share the driving can reduce driving pressure Always watch for pedestrians when you’re reversing. Before you get into your vehicle, make it a habit to walk around your vehicle to ensure no small kids are behind it. If your children are walking to school on their own, make sure they have planned a walking route to school or the bus stop. Ideally  opt for the route with the fewest street crossings and intersections even if it is not the fastest or the shortest.   Did you know? Until the age of about eight, it is difficult for children to assess whether a car is moving or not. The first thing a child will notice about a car approaching them is the colour not how fast it is travelling Children have no idea how long it takes for a car to stop and do not yet have the ability to estimate, they mistakenly assume that cars can stop instantly. A child’s field of vision is one-third narrower than an adult’s. Children have difficulty determining where sounds are coming from. It takes a car 13 metres to come to a complete stop when driving 30 km/h, but 27 metres – more than double that distance – when driving 50 km/h. Pedestrian casualties peak at about the age of 12 with cyclist injuries at 14 20% of all injuries happen on the school journey and increases for secondary school age children   Also read 10 ways to keep children safe in and around cars   Geraldine Herbert   25th August, 2017  ...