I would love to see your suggested alternative in the case above (child running on to the road, thinks it's a game). One that works immediately. One that's reliable.

See my reply to your other comment, and/or feel free to view my most recent post. Again, this is--unfortunately--something that cannot be accurately conveyed via the highly limited medium of the text-based internet.

The complexity of alternative discipline is--unfortunately--a large part of the reason why so many people resort to the more simple, direct, and obvious method of striking a child.

Trust me when I say that if you and your children were local, I'd be more than happy to show you a demonstration ;-)