The school run can be a dangerous time of day. People on cars and on foot are in a hurry to get somewhere fast, be it work or school. Drivers put their foot down, pedestrians take the odd risk, it can be a lethal combination. As parents doing the school run, we have to find a way to get where we need to be, preferably on time, and to get there safely.
I think everyone has their own standards. Some will insist on waiting for the green man at a crossing even if the way is clear. Others will take a view on that if there isn’t any danger.
One thing I do is insist on is scooter safety, as that is a common way for us to travel to school (or for J at least). He knows he has to stop scooting at a certain point on our journey, as there is a steep slope leading down to a very busy road with a fairly blind corner. I don’t allow him to scoot across roads even on a crossing. The main road we have to cross is on a slope and I don’t want him scooting off the central reservation accidentally.
When we are waiting to cross he has to stand behind those bumpy paving stones that indicate to blind people where the road is. I figure that gives us a better chance if there is some nutter on the road. There are certainly plenty of those around and they think nothing of jumping lights or speeding past waiting children.
So do you have your own rules for the school run? I’ve honed mine to suit the roads that we need to deal with – do you do the same? Do you have any tales to tell about the school run.