Driving to school today when a family of Mum (carrying baby), Dad and school age youngster crossed the road in front of me. Dad and youngster both had their left arm extended toward traffic with their palm, fingers spread, facing traffic.
This sight is getting too common. Just who is teaching their children that the power of their palm will protect them from the horrors of being run over and possibly killed by a motor vehicle?
Kids - let me tell you now, the palm has no power! Motor vehicles weigh between 500kg and 38,000kg. They are fitted with engine, gears and brakes - any one of those three can alter the speed of the vehicle. They have a steering wheel which can alter the direction of travel. Your palm does not connect to any of the controls that can alter speed or direction of the vehicle.
The only thing that will happen is the vehicle will hit your palm first, just before it drives your head into the pavement. Don't let that happen to you!
Find a safe place to cross. One where you have a clear view of the road in both directions.
Look both ways, then look again at the side of the road you are standing on. When you look for the second time, see how far any vehicles on your side of the road have travelled. Is there room for you to cross to the middle of the road before they reach you? If you drop the toy in your hand, is there time to pick it up and still reach safety before they reach you?
When it is safe to do so, cross to the middle of the road continuing to look both ways as you do. A new vehicle can emerge from a side road or a driveway, one of the vehicles coming in either direction could decide to overtake, one of the drivers may not be paying attention and let his car wander out of line. You need to know if any of these things happen so you can react safely.
When you reach the middle of the road, look again at the traffic on that side and if it is safe to do so, keep going. Keep looking both ways as you cross the second part of the road. Too often here you will see an impatient motorcyclist, cyclist, jeepney driver driving along the side of the road in the wrong direction, just because it is convenient for him.
Be safe on the roads, we value our children!