Phew! It was close.
I almost ran over a child this morning.
As usual, after getting my supplies of vegetables, I headed home. And I would pass by a secondary school.
As you may guess, there are kids moving about in the vicinity of school.
Suddenly, a teenage boy was running and crossing the road which I was about to drive pass.
Had I not been alert, I would have hit the boy. How badly he was hit would depend on how fast I drove.
It was his lucky day. And mine too.
Before the boy running across the road, I saw him between trees on the roadside. If my mind was on other things and I didn’t see him coming from the roadside, it would have been too late by the time I realized. I don’t believe that I could brake on time.
And I didn’t drive fast. I released my accelerator the moment I realized the boy was about to cross the street.
After he survived the near-accident, the student didn’t show any sign of regret. He acted like nothing happened.
No I am not telling you this to boast how alert I am while I drive. Nor do I expect the boy to feel extremely sorry about his carelessness and beg for forgiveness.
While driving about near the school, I have seen many cases where students lack road survival skills.
They don’t realize how dangerous it is while they are on the road. They treat crossing street like a walk in the park. They expect drivers to look out for them. They fool around while crossing.
And tons of other examples.
It’s true. School plays a roles in educating students about road safety. But parents have a responsibility too.
From young, we must teach our child how to walk, cycle, and cross the street safely. Especially in our country where pedestrians are treated with no respect, this issue is even more important and can’t be taken lightly.
Do it before it’s too late.
P.S. For more parenting tips that challenge the norm, check out “The Nonconformist’s Guide to Parenting.”
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