Published: Wednesday, 4th June, 2008 12:00
New bid to cut road tragedies
By Hamish Hutchinson
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Safety first and thumbs up for the latest campaign to avoid tragedies on the road, launched at Sunnyside School.
Pic by: Jan van der Merwe
DRIVERS, children and parents will be targeted in a police initiative designed to avoid tragedy on the roads during the summer months.
With 3000 children expected to be wandering Clackmannanshire’s streets at the end of term drivers are urged to be vigilant.
Over the next few weeks police officers and community wardens will be out and about across the county raising awareness of the Safer Summer Campaign.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), every year across the UK more than 15,000 cyclists are killed or injured in reported road accidents.
A quarter of those cyclists killed, and a third of those injured, are children.
Only last month a child from Alloa’s Sunnyside Primary School received slight injuries after colliding with a car whilst on the road.
It highlights just one of the dangers posed to youngsters and underlines the important message behind the police campaign.
Alloa police chief Andrew Price said, “Schools break up at the end of June and motorists need to be aware that there will be more children about than usual.
“Children also need to be aware that the roads are not for playing on and they need to take extra care when on or near roads.”
Drivers using mobile phones, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt will also be targeted in the month-long campaign.
It follows on from the successful ‘Look Out – School’s Coming Out’ initiative held last summer.
Constable Liz Brown, who is once again leading the campaign, said, “During the summer holidays 3000 children will be out of school playing, laughing, joking and having a good time. We want them to stay safe and go back to school in August unhurt.
“Last year we had one child who was slightly injured while he was on his bike. He collided with a car.”
A police mobile unit is expected to tour the Alloa supermarkets spreading the message.
Community wardens will attend schools liaising with parents and teachers and highlighting road safety to children.
Leaflets, specifically designed for youngsters, will also be handed out to children. Parents will receive their own style of leaflet.
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Road Safety Officer, Hector Nicolson, has written to parents informing them of the campaign and urging them to play their part.
He wrote, “Children of all ages have to learn road safety skills and the people best to learn from are parents and carers who should lead by good example and supervise their child well.
“I therefore urge you to influence who they are being driven by, especially the young driver, and make sure drivers are aware of their responsibility with regard to child restraints and seat belts while conveying children in vehicles.”
At Sunnyside Primary School in Alloa, where the campaign was launched, the pupils already learn road safety through a “keeping myself safe” programme and regular visits by Mr Nicolson.
A cycling proficiency programme is run at the school by Caroline Fraser, co-ordinator of Clackmannanshire Council’s Safe Routes to School campaign, whose son also attends Sunnyside.
Principal teacher Donna Wheater said, “About a month ago a child from school was slightly injured whilst on the road. Hector Nicolson was very good about it and came in to the school soon after and gave a safety talk to the pupils.
“But learning does not happen exclusively in schools. We hope that through this campaign and by regularly revisiting the road safety messages, we can work in partnership with parents to protect our young people from the dangers of traffic over the summer months.
“We look forward to welcoming all our pupils back to school safe and sound in August.”
Mother-of-two, Tracey Martin understands the dangers roads pose to children having moved from the remote Highlands to Alloa.
She said, “Road safety education is so important because children need to learn how to cross safely. By setting a good example they can pass that message on to their peers.
“The volume of traffic is increasing all the time and so it is something that kids should be aware of.”
Her son Bailey (9) added, “You need to keep on remembering how to cross the road because if you forget you might get run over.”
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