5yo son randomly running off

[Fruitjelly1994]

Hello
I am feeling really down and upset
I have an amazing smart kind 5 yo . Perfect behaviour at school, focuses, listens, follows instructions, kind to other kids
Home life he lives with me and Dad and he has two older half siblings he sees all the time
Can be wilful at home but never terribly naughty
My issues causing me so much stress and anxiety is inexplicably and randomly he will bolt in terrifying places, he is so fast I can't get him
He did it once in Tesco
Once in an airport in the US
And bolted off around a supermarket car park most recently
I can shout and scream his name he looks at me smiling and continues to run
Absolutely 0 concept of safety or cars
Walking with me next to a road he understands not to go in the road but during these episodes of running he seems to lose his senses
I am sick with anxiety next time this happens he will be hurt or get completely lost and I dread going places it's always in the back of my mind
Just looking for advice and see if anyone has experienced the same. He will be 6 in July.

Reins.

Absolutely and immediately. If he can't be trusted then he wears reins like a toddler because that is better than watching him be killed by a car in front of your eyes.

What are the consequences when he bolts? Eg if you are on a fun day out, do you immediately terminate it? Honestly I would end a holiday if this happened twice in the holiday. Reins where you really can’t control him. My youngest was abit like this and we used to have to drive her everywhere til she grew out of it as she couldn’t be trusted to walk. He will suddenly grow out of it, but serious, immediate consequences in the meantime.

Baby reins. If he can't walk sensibly like a 5 year old should, then he needs to be treated like a toddler. He'll soon be embarrassed.

Backpack with a handle strap? My youngest was always known as a bolter for no good reason and these really helped.

There is a poster on here whose child was killed because of this, I don't know her username but she is an advocate for reins.

You son is risking his life and can't be loose without reins.