Ds almost got hit by a car today

[Ohmnomnom]

Walking to school with ds5. Very narrow pavement and small street with all the usual madness and rush of drop off. He was slightly ahead of me and dd when a group of around 6 people quickly crossed over from the other side of the road and got in between us.

He turned around and then had a quick panic when he couldn't see me and stepped into the road to go around them, just as a car was approaching behind him. Thank god for the fast reflexes of the dad in front of us who caught ds and yanked him back onto the pavement

I still feel a bit sick everytime I think of it. I'm kicking myself for not reacting faster but it all happened in a flash. I shouted his name when he stepped in the road which scared him and he went into school still sobbing. I'll sit him down tonight and have a good chat about road safety. Just feel like an absolutely rubbish mum today.

@Readyforspring child walks directly behind the pushchair, you walk directly behind them for the short time it takes you to get back onto the pavement.

We were parked close to the school once and a van came by so fast that it shook the car as it passed!

So you know it's not a safe road for him to walk down alone then?

I am on the path. Icant fit her between the handles of pushchair and me. Im too short. I couldn't even use a buggy board for the same reason.
I was just giving an example that some paths are narrow.
That particular one is on a busy road and lots of pedestrians, many pedestrians have to 'give way' by walking in the road / stepping into a drive.
I hate walking that way

All the people saying hold hands at all times. What age would you let your child walk a short way in front of you?

@Readyforspring how short are you? I'm 5'4'' and have walked like that many times!

@Readyforspring

Ok so all those judging the op for not holding hand. This is next to a very busy road i have to walk daily. I have a dc in pushchair and 4 yr old has to walk in front. There are a few drives which cars pull out of, tell me how i could possibly hold hand side by side when the width of some of this path only just fits a single pushchair.?

Well I'd start by not pushing a pram and taking photos with one hand on a road like that... 🤦‍♀️ Put your child between you and the pram. Or, if thats such an issue, behind you holding on to your waistband so you can grab them if they let go. In front they are out of reach.

Better road design would help. There was a very nasty accident some years ago near us: a reception age kid on a scooter fell over on a narrow pavement and got dragged under a passing bus. She had head injuries but made a full recovery eventually thanks to prompt medical treatment. The pavement in question now has bollards on the kerb, and the road a 20mph limit at school run time. And I haven’t seen scooters at school run for quite some time now so I have a feeling they may have been banned by the school.

@Readyforspring it looks like that pavement would benefit from railings. You can lobby your local councillor about issues like that.

When DS was 3 he ran in front of me and I only managed to catch him just at the same time a car stopped suddenly to avoid him.

In a strange twist, the car that would have hit him was driven by his dad. We were nowhere near home. I still thank the universe that nothing happened.