Page 24 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – January/February 2020

SAFETY ZONE
Safety Education through
Art and Peer Mentoring
Every parent wants to keep their child safe in The other vital program to highlight is the annual AAA
situations on the road both inside and outside of vehicles. It starts with the drive home from the hospital with new babies buckled snugly into their infant car seats. Next, it’s watching those same not so little kiddos look both ways before reluctantly letting them cross the street. As they get older, we keep those lessons going as we run alongside them riding their first bicycles. Then, we teach them how to drive before eventually handing over the keys to their first ride without supervision. Both parents and children make their fair share of mistakes, but we keep learning.
It’s hard for adults to picture the world through the eyes of a child. That’s why children often respond better to an older sibling or peer than they do their parents. For many years AAA has sponsored two programs that foster this concept of children helping children.
The first program to highlight is the AAA School Safety Patrol, nearing its 100th birthday. Younger children generally follow the lead of older children but not everyone has an older sibling. The Safety Patrol helps students find other students who will give them positive assistance and guidance in traffic safety. AAA provides teaching materials and equipment for this program,
but it’s up to the schools to customize the program
to fit each school’s needs. The Safety Patrol not only helps keep kids safe, but it also helps develop positive leadership skills and concern for others.
Traffic Safety Poster Contest. Students come up with a concept regarding Traffic Safety rules, laws, concerns, etc., and put it into poster format. These submissions can be hand-drawn, painted or digitally submitted. The poster contest is another way for students to help other students through art as “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
The more involved, the better. Schools with grades K-12 and families with school-aged kids are welcomed and encouraged to take part. Promoting traffic safety through art helps both children and adults see and understand lifesaving messages. Daily, our children are peripherally exposed to so many concepts like pedestrian and bicycle safety, distracted driving and driver education. Additionally, as grown-ups, we process a lot of what we learn by seeing the world through the eyes of our children.
For those interested in the Poster Contest, it is essential to note that pictures of the winning artwork are displayed throughout the year at our AAA Hudson Valley offices and available on our website. Worried about artistic ability? Have no fear. For entry into this contest, a clear safety concept is more important than painting like Vincent Van Gogh. Prizes and an award recognition night take place in the spring. For more information, visit AAA.com/schoolsafety.
For more information on other Traffic Safety initiatives, including the Keys-2-Drive Teen Driver class, visit AAA.com/Safety.
24 I JAN/FEB 2020
Photo: Shutterstock: Poznyakov