EM/172/01
Junior road safety officers at Richmond Primary School in Hinckley will be spreading the safety message at a special assembly on Thursday (13 September).
The 10 year old pupils are planning to raise awareness among their school friends to coincide with the latest series of TV adverts in the Government''s Think! Road safety campaign.
Richmond Primary is currently developing its own School Travel Plan in a bid to improve safety for children and adults on roads surrounding the school.
Headteacher Steve Winter said:
"Road safety issues affect all families and all schools. Our Junior Road Safety Officers often speak in assembly and organise displays and competitions to raise awareness. The other children always listen carefully to their messages and act on their advice.
"We are also developing a school travel plan which aims to reduce congestion around the school and encourage healthier, more environmentally-friendly ways for children to get to school. The national statistics on road accidents involving children are horrendous. Like many schools, we''re doing our best to educate children about the issues so that they know how to be safe on the roads."
A Leicestershire County Council spokesman added:
"The Junior Road Safety School Officers Scheme operates in over 180 schools throughout Leicester and Leicestershire. The officers, usually in their final year of primary school, work hard to encourage their friends to think carefully about safety on roads in an enjoyable and constructive way."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Government''s Think! road safety campaign has been designed to encourage all road users to think about their safety and the safety of others when out on the highway. The latest television commercial shows in dramatic slow motion the extra distance travelled by a car braking from 35mph rather than 30mph, with a child being knocked down as a result.
2. The Think! road safety website is: http://www.think.dtlr.gov.uk 1
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