A Lesson From Willy Whistle: Stop, Look And Listen

Recently, we read about a young 7 year old boy who is recovering from  injuries that he sustained because he didn't seem to know how to safely cross a street. As reported, the youngster darted out between two parked cars on the street, before being hit by a Cheyenne Parks and Recreation van.

Growing up in the 70's and 80's there were a lot of public service announcements that were put out by many different sources. One commercial that I remember was put out by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that used a character named "Willy Whistle" to teach children how to safely cross a street.

Willy Whistle always taught that before crossing a street in between two parked cars, you should go to the edge of the cars and stop. At this point, you should look to the left, then to the right and then to the left again before crossing the street.

I believe this accident could have been avoided, had the young man been practicing good street crossing habits. This should be a wake up call to all of us parents and grandparents who have children, to ensure their safety when crossing a street.

As it was once said, "You can feed a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime."I think this goes for crossing the street as well. "You can walk a child across the street and he'll safely arrive that time. Teach a child how to cross a street, and they can be safe for the rest of their life."

I'm thankful for the lessons I learned so long ago from Willy Whistle and my daughter is reaping the teaching today that I learned so long ago. When crossing the street, remember Willy Whistle, and let's do our best to keep our children safe with just a few tips from Willy.