3 year old and hand holding

[HandsoffGary]

Wanting to canvass opinions on this one. If you are walking along a road with traffic with a 3 year old (just turned this month) wouldn't you want to hold their hand?

At that age they still lack impulse control so I thought that this would be a normal thing, hold hands with the adult in charge, if numerous children then multiple hands held etc.

Obviously talking to the child about not running in the road, checking for cars coming and using Green man to cross where possible?

Am I being a PFB?

[thebestfurchinchilla]

What jon said.

[LarrytheCucumber]

I know there were fewer cars when I was a child, but people of my generation often walked to school on their own. I certainly did at Junior School, and by 11 we all had to get ourselves to school. I usually walked as it was only a couple of miles but for a while I went on my bike. This was in a large town near London, so there was quite a lot of traffic for the time.
I am stunned that children do not develop road sense until 12. Did the paediatrician mean that it is because they don't have the opportunity?

[JonSnowKnowsNowt]

Larry - no, it is to do with lack of ability to accurately judge speed; brain not fully making use of peripheral vision information etc. This is quite well-known, I believe. Doesn't mean that all DC below 12 will automatically get run over if they walk alone. But it does mean that they have a higher risk than older DC or adults. I imagine that whether it's a good idea to let a 10 or 11 year old walk to school alone depends heavily on the type of route they are taking - what kinds of roads they need to cross, etc.