Look both ways before crossing the street, is a wonderful little habit.
Never set up lemonade stands in the middle of rush hour traffic.
Keep in mind that cars are big, and you are very small,
And if you try to take one on, you’ll get squashed to about two inches tall.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking, you’re thinking “I know all this stuff,”
and a lot of it you hopefully do, but you might not know enough.
There are many things, that kids like you, often can forget,
And because they forget those little things they can end up getting hit.
Parents tell you to watch for cars, until your face turns blue,
But thousands of kids still get runned over, kids who are just like you.
It’s sad but true, cars can often snuff kids just like lawnmowers,
So come with me, I’ll teach you all just how to not get runned over.
When out and about, stay on sidewalks, they’re your safest bet,
But if there are no sidewalks around, walk as far off the road as you can get.
Walk in the ditch, walk in the gravel, walk in doggy poo if you must to survive.
But where ever you walk, walk as
far away as you can from where the cars drive.
When you walk on the road, walk facing traffic, so you can see the cars just fine,
You don’t want to end up getting hit by a car you can’t see from behind,
Always take the safest route, away from traffic, that parents tell you to do.
Never take shortcuts if it’s dangerous through traffic, but you probably knew that too.
Now this is something that all kids like you probably already know,
To stop, look and listen, to cross the street, wherever it is you go….
But before you say “I know that already” listen just a little more,
Because you just might learn something new that you didn’t know before.
Most people tell you to look both ways, but this isn’t quite correct,
Looking both ways is good, unless there are 5 ways that you need to check.
So look and listen, front and back, sideways, diagonal, left and right,
Cross while listening and looking around for any cars in sight.
So how do we walk when we’re out and about?
- ̧We walk facing traffic…
- Always take the safest route, and stay walking along the paths parents tell you to take. Many children get killed because they try to take shortcuts that aren’t safe.
- Stay as far off the road as you can. Drivers don’t always pay attention. Have you ever seen videos of a policeman getting hit by a driver that swerves to the edge? This happens a lot, and so we stay as far off the road as we can in case someone decides they want to drive on the sidewalk.
So how do we cross the street?
- How many ways do we need to look?
- Why do we have to look more than two ways?
- What is it we listen for when we stop, look and listen?
We need to make sure we cross busy streets
only at the intersections when the time is right.
Review crossing the street: Always stop before you cross, look all ways, then cross and keep looking while crossing.
We never play around in parking lots, its such a dangerous place,
If you do, or if you drop your guard, you could take a car to the face.
So always stay by your parents side, never run off ahead.
Your too little for cars to see,
and they might just smash in your head.
But if you stay by your parents side, they’re much taller than you,
and they can lead you by the hand and help you make it safely through.
Never play behind any cars, or under them you see…
It’s dangerous to be where the driver may not see.
And before you could move, by that time it just may be too late,
The driver got in and went off in a hurry, and now you’re as flat as a pancake.
One other rule that children have a tendency to sometimes forget,
Is they end up running out in the road, to chase a toy or to chase a pet…
In the midst of their game they don’t think of the street,
they just plain forget,
And they chase that ball out into the road, and end up getting hit.
So don’t chase that ball, don’t chase that toy, don’t chase that silly pet,
Wait till it stops, then cross very carefully, or call a grown-up to get it.
So . . .
- We never, ever, play around, under, or behind other cars. Someone might get in and start it and take off before you could get out from underneath.
- Never play games near the street, especially ones with balls that can roll out in to the street.
- Stop and think. Don’t forget about the street. If something goes out into it, stop, wait to see where it goes, and then cross carefully or call a grown up over to help you get it.
- Never play in parking lots or driveways were cars could pull in our out at any moment. People these days are always in a hurry, and they often peel out quickly with out looking behind them.
- If you see a car that’s running, don’t cross until you are sure the driver sees you. Just because they are not moving now doesn’t mean they won’t decide to pull out the moment you walk behind. If you can walk in front or walk a different way just to be safe.
Now this is another tricky one, that all good kids should know, They need to remember this safety rule wherever it is they go.
You see, sometimes when you cross the street, and you’re waiting by the road, A car might stop in front of you, and motion for you to go.
Now this is fine, that’s quite all right, they’re just trying to be polite,
But remember, this is just one car being more courteous than the other cars might.
People may be in a real big hurry, and try to go around,
Not seeing you from behind the first car, they might just mow you down.
So if someone lets you cross, that’s great, but do not lose your guard and keep a watchful eye, Always stop at the edge of the car, to make sure others don’t zoom on by.
The same rule goes for catching the bus, at the bus stop before or after school.
Cars are supposed to stop for the sign, but many of them break the rules.
So when getting on or off the bus, Kids must always beware,
To follow these simple rules And take a little extra care:
- Cross at least 10 feet in front of the bus.
- Always stop at the edge of the bus to make sure no cars are trying to go around, or coming from the other way.
- Cross carefully while looking all ways.
It’s also very important when were waiting for the bus,
To remember we’re beside the road, so no horseplay, no silly stuff.
Especially if it’s winter time out, and cars are prone to slide,
When waiting for the bus, always wait a good ways off to the side.
So . . .
- Remember, just because one car stops and tells you to go, doesn’t mean that it’s safe. You still need to stop at the edge of that car and look around it all ways to make sure nobody else is coming.
- The same is true with school buses. Just because the bus is waiting for you doesn’t mean a car won’t try to pass it. So take a peek to make sure all cars are stopped before you step out beyond the bus.
- Stay away from the road and don’t play around when waiting for the bus. Cars don’t expect you to jump in the road.
A couple more things and then we’ll be done,
but relax were almost through,
And then I think it will be safe to say, no cars will run over you.
But this next rule is very important,
I’m sure you’ll know what we mean,
When we tell you all, how important it is, for you to always be SEEN.
Never try to cross the road, behind something that blocks the view,
Of cars that would be coming down the road,
cars that need to see you.
Like tree’s or bushes, buildings or barns, or even cars that are parked.
And another time when cars can’t see, is when you’re out and about in the dark.
Inside a cars windshield at night, people become very hard to see.
It’s almost like they’re invisible, something that’s not very good to be.
So try to avoid being out after dark, but if you must, remember this.
Bring a flashlight, so cars can see you, I’m afraid on this we insist.
And the very last thing, that you should know,
is you must give cars RESPECT!
They can’t always stop as suddenly, or as fast as you might expect.
First the driver needs to see you, then he needs to press the brakes,
Then those brakes need time to work, and by then it may be too late.
And sometimes they can be driving a lot faster than they seem,
So if crossing the road, allow lot’s of extra time between.
So give them cars lots and lots and lots of respect,
stay on your tip, tip, tippy toes, and remember what to expect.
So think long and hard about all these rules in that melon that sits on your shoulders.
And if you follow them to a T,
You won’t ever get runned over!
The End!