Parents learn about road safety

Jun 26 2008 By Tony Collins

PARENTS at a Birmingham primary school have been getting a “child’s eye view” of road safety.

The Department for Transport’s THINK! campaign drove into Anderton Park Primary School, in Dennis Road, Sparkhill, as part of Child Safety Week.

The roadshow, called Child’s Eye View: Practical Parenting in Road Safety, came equipped with giant-sized model cars and a zebra crossing to show parents how the road looked from a child’s perspective.

Parents at Anderton Park Primary were also given a dramatic insight into how their own behaviour on the road could pass dangerous habits on to their children.

The Child’s Eye View campaign aims to cut the number of children injured or killed on the road.

Last year, there were 86 road accidents involving children under 15 in the West Midlands. The number was a dramatic fall from 142 in 1999, but the Department for Transport said more still needed to be done.

The roadshow has been running across the country throughout June with experts offering parents easy-to-follow tips and advice on how to address the issue of road safety with their children.

Tim Philpot, of the Road Safety Officer’s Organisation, led the session at Anderton Park.

“Copycat learning is one of the key ways children form skills and establish their behaviour, so setting a bad example when it comes to road safety can have serious consequences,” he said.

“We are constantly working with parents in the community to improve road safety for children and we hope this Child’s Eye View roadshow session will make the roads safer for everyone.”

More information on road safety advice and tips for parents is available at www.dft.go.uk/think