Making Safety ‘Cool’

 This goes with dressing for safety as well. Wearing bright orange reflective clothing is not seen as a cool thing to do by any kid, so how can parents and teachers get children to wear children’s high vis clothing? By making it a fashion statement.

It’s been done before. During the early 2010s the neon colors of the 1980s made a big comeback. From the catwalk on models, to the playground on children. High vis clothing doesn’t necessarily have to be orange and reflective like the stereotype leads people to believe. Any fluorescent and bright neon color increases visibility. Hi vis kids shirts can be anything from bright green to pink.

Companies like Cuties By Zootys know what is going on in the minds of children. High vis clothingmade by this company resembles adult wear, which means that children will want to wear it in order to play ‘dress up’ and look like their mom or dad. Teachers and parents can introduce the concept of high visibility being fashionable by organizing a high vis fashion show. Encourage the children to take part and model the clothes and it’ll soon become the cool thing to wear.

A great idea for a market day at school would be for children to have a stall selling high visibility items like reflective badges and high vis kids shirts. It teaches children the skill of entrepreneurship while simultaneously spreading the message of road safety around the school. Another fun school activity could be a day dedicated to dressing as brightly as possible. Make it a competition, whoever is the most reflective and bright can win a price. The price can be a hamper of high visibility clothing.

Children who ride their bikes to school should be extra careful when it comes to road safety. The bike itself can be made highly visible through use of reflective tape on strategic locations and LED light that flash when the wheels turn. The bike can be made even more reflective than the child would have been on their own. Buying a bike in a bright neon color also help to up the visibility.

Hand out high vis badges, patches and stickers at schools. Children will be more likely to use something decorative that has a purpose other than just being for safety. Hand the girls bright pink and yellow stickers and the boys bright blue and orange stickers.

Parents and teachers can work together to ensure the safety of the children. High vis clothing can definitely help, but children should also be taught road safety rules at home and at school. At schools, staff should help to guide small children across roads and make sure that there are enough signs around school areas cautioning drivers to go slow. The government can also step in and make fines and punishments harsher for drivers who don’t obey these signs.