With Valentine’s Day just around the corner romance is in the air and what better way to show someone you love them than by just holding their hand. For many of us those we love most include our children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Holding the hands of children is one of the most important ways we can show our love.

Sadly, there were 20 child (16 years and under) pedestrian fatalities in NSW in the five years from 2015 to 2019. In addition, there were 961 child pedestrians injured in the same period. Only last week an eight-year-old boy was hit by a car before school. Child pedestrian crashes happen fast and are highly traumatic for all involved.

As pedestrians, children can be easily distracted and are often too small to be seen by drivers. They may be unable to predict or identify dangers and tend to act impulsively. 

Until a child is at least eight years old you should hold their hand:
• on the footpath
• in car parks
• when crossing the road

Up until at least 10 years old you should closely supervise children near roads and hold their hand when crossing the road.

The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation was established by Michelle and David McLaughlin after tragically losing their son Tom, to a pedestrian road crash. The Foundation’s ‘Hold My Hand’ campaign, aims to encourage parents and carers to hold their child’s hand when they are close to roads. 

“We lost our precious son, Tom in the blink of an eye. We don’t want this to happen to anyone else. The cost – emotional and financial – is just too high. That’s why the ‘Hold My Hand’ message is so important,” Mrs McLaughlin said.

As children begin or return to school after the holidays, they may be excited or distracted and often not concentrating on their own safety. They are still developing an understanding of danger and safety. While they are often keen to do things for themselves, you or another adult must always be responsible for them in the traffic environment.

Children are still developing the skills that help them to judge the direction of sounds and the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles. They are physically small, making it harder for drivers to see them. They may be easily distracted and tend to only be able to focus on one thing at a time. This means that they find it difficult to deal with sudden changes in the traffic environment.

Your child may be able to tell you the rules and how to keep safe near, in and around vehicles, but in reality, will not always be able to apply them.

The best way to keep young children safe from traffic injuries is to hold their hand or hold them close. By holding onto children, you can stop them running into dangerous situations. Even though children may complain about holding hands, by making family rules about safe walking, explaining these rules and reinforcing safe behaviour, you will help children learn how to become safer pedestrians.

Remember to hold your child’s hand not just on Valentine’s Day but whenever you are near roads and traffic.