Children are at the heart of this year’s Scottish Road Safety Week (SRSW) which runs from 4 to 10 May 2015.
The aim of the week-long campaign is to raise awareness of road safety across the country, and in particular on keeping children safe whilst walking, cycling and travelling by car.
1,062 children were injured on Scotland’s roads in 2013; nine youngsters died and 143 were seriously injured. However, the number of people killed and injured on Scotland’s roads in 2013 were the lowest since records began.
Child pedestrians and child cyclists are two of the key targets for this campaign, with warnings about the risks of not wearing a helmet, how vulnerable you can be if you cycle with headphones on, and the dangers of not wearing bright/ fluorescent colours, as both a pedestrian and a cyclist. The importance of using dedicated pedestrian crossings is also being highlighted.
Parents are also being urged to check their child’s car seat is correctly fitted within their vehicle, to ensure it is properly adjusted for their child’s height, and that youngsters are securely strapped into their seats.
Chief Superintendent Iain Murray, Head of Road Policing, Police Scotland, said: “Everyone in Scotland has a part to play in keeping people safe on our roads, and a particular responsibility towards children, be they pedestrians, cyclists, or passengers in cars.
“It is essential we protect the most vulnerable members of our communities. As the nights get lighter and we move from spring and into summer, vulnerable road users, including children, are more at risk.”
SRSW is running in parallel with the United Nations’ Global Road Safety Week, which is also focusing on road safety for children around the world. According to the UN, more than 500 children a day die globally as a result of road traffic accidents.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
Sad to see the Police blaming the victims once again. There is no evidence that not wearing a helmet or cycle with headphones, cause collision on the roads. It is pure victim blaming. It is time that Police Scotland cracked down hard on the dangerous driving that kills people everyday on our roads.
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