This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New resource to improve road safety for kids
24/02/2003
A new teaching resource which uses physical exercise and
movement to teach road safety to kids will make learning
about road safety more fun, Deputy Transport Minister Lewis
Macdonald said today.
The Minister was speaking as he visited a Glasgow
nursery school to see them using new 'Gym Cards,' developed
by the Children's Traffic Club in Scotland (CTCS) run by
the Scottish Road Safety Campaign. The cards are a teaching
resource using physical exercises and sounds to raise
awareness of crossing the road, playing safely and the
dangers of traffic.
As well as teaching about road safety, nurseries and
playgroups will also give children the chance to join the
CTCS. A new pre-school registration pack will be available
to parents at enrolment.
Mr Macdonald said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to improving
children's road safety and I am delighted that these gym
cards are available to all nursery and playgroups in
Scotland. It is essential to learn about the dangers on the
road from a very young age.
"The Scottish Executive is determined to reduce the
number of children killed and injured on Scotland's roads
and some good progress has been made. In 2001 the number of
children killed and seriously injured on the roads was 36%
below the level of the mid 1990s but there is still a long
way to go. We must continue to look for ways to encourage
children to take on the lessons of road safety in a way
that makes it fun to learn.
"The Children's Traffic Club in Scotland is free. Every
child in Scotland can be a member and receive a series of
six road safety books. We want to ensure as many children
as possible join so that everyone can benefit.
The Deputy Minister for Education Nicol Stephen
added:
"Nurseries and playgroups can be important in laying the
foundations for road safety education. Gym cards will
provide them with a practical, effective and fun tool to
link road safety with health and fitness.
"Children's traffic clubs have a positive influence on
the behaviour and attitudes of members and their carers.
They can play a vital role in the drive to improve
children's awareness of personal safety issues."
The Children's Traffic Club in Scotland (CTCS) was
launched by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign in 1995 and
is funded by the Scottish Executive. An invitation to join
the Club is sent to all children in Scotland around their
third birthday by their local Health Board.
Research by the Scottish Executive
Road Accidents and Children Living in Disadvantaged Areas:
A Literature Review, published in 2000, found the
risk of death for child pedestrians is highly class
related. Children in the lowest socio-economic group are
four times more likely to be killed than their counterparts
in the highest socio-economic group.
Nurseries and playgroups will receive the Gym Cards from
Road Safety Officers, who are part of the local council or
police force, depending on the region, from the 24
th February 2003.
The Pre-school registration pack aims to increase the
number of children registering for the CTCS, especially
from disadvantaged backgrounds where take up is lowest.