RoSPA Press Office : Press Release
May 12, 2005
COUNTRY ROADS POSE MAJOR THREAT TO CHILDREN - RoSPA
The dangers facing children on UK rural roads were highlighted today as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents launched a new lesson guide to help teachers to combat the problem.
Children involved in road accidents in the countryside were much more likely to be killed or seriously injured than those hurt in towns, RoSPA said.
Concerns are so great that the Department for Transport provided funding for the Society to develop and publish Rural Road Safety: A Resource for Key Stages 1 & 2. It aims to help children aged 4 to 11 be safer on rural roads by including road safety messages in lessons such as Maths, English, Geography, Personal Social and Health Education and Information and Communication Technology.
Previously, road safety education resources have concentrated heavily on the urban environment, but it has been recognised that children from rural communities need different skills to cope with country roads.
In 2003, almost a quarter of child pedestrians involved in an accident on rural roads were killed or seriously injured compared with fewer than a fifth in towns. Injuries to child cyclists on rural roads have also been shown to be more severe. And 65 per cent of child casualties on rural roads are car passengers, whereas only 30 per cent on town roads are in cars.
A RoSPA spokesperson said: “Drivers forget that children live and play in rural areas. Much higher speeds and bends and hills on many country roads reduce the distance that drivers can see ahead. This gives them less time to react and results in more severe impacts.
“Rural roads can be narrow and often have no pavements. Pedestrian casualties are more likely to occur when children are walking along the road rather than crossing it. Nearly twice as many children are hurt in the countryside when walking with their back to the traffic than when walking facing oncoming traffic.
“Although the higher speeds on rural roads increase the chance that a crash will be fatal, there is evidence that many country children are less likely to wear a seatbelt for every journey than those from towns.
“Children need education on the knowledge and skills they require to be safe road users in rural areas. The resource provides this.”
The resource includes lesson plans, pupil files and facts and figures and has lessons on pedestrians, cycling, in-car safety, school trips and horse riding safety. It is being sent to schools and road safety officers and can be downloaded free from www.rospa.com/roadsafety/rural/ Copies can be bought by ringing 0121 248 2233.
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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