We live in a busy housing estate that is both teeming with kids and teeming with cars.
As mum to one busy four-year-old and another busy two-year-old, I stress a lot on a daily basis about their general safety.
But I am never more stressed out than I am when my son is on his scooter ahead of us in the estate on a footpath that runs alongside everyone else’s driveways.
My biggest fear is that someone will reverse out of their gateway too quickly as he zooms past and that he’ll get a knock.
Because it does and has happened.
As a parent now, I know that I am always really careful when I am driving in our housing estate – I try to always reverse into the driveway so that I can then get out of it again facing the road to see if anyone is walking (or zooming on a scooter) past.
‘Ready to go?’ I ask the kids as I turn the ignition on.
‘Any kids or cars coming? No? Let’s go’.
But I can’t say I was always that conscientious before I had kids, I’m just so much more aware of the danger my car poses to small kids because of my own.
There are other cars in our neighbourhood that are going WAY too fast for the drivers to be able to react if a kid ran out in front of them.
And yes, I am that mother that shouts at them to SLOW DOWN! whenever I can – I mean, do I want to keep my dignity or my kids intact?
You know the answer..
The RSA have a series of driveway safety videos that are an important watch for both you and your kids:
All of the tips are great and I think that the main thing is to try to reverse into your driveway as much as possible – it gives you greater visibility when leaving the house next.
Let’s keep our kids safe!
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