Red Light to Road Safety - Parents Should Teach Street Safety to Their Children

LONDON, February 29, 2004

Nearly two thirds of parents are so worried about protection from abduction that they are not teaching their children basic road safety according to the research released today.

The study has found over 60% of parents who drive their child to school would allow their children to walk or cycle if they knew they would be protected from strangers. The more common dangers of being hit by a car or knocked off a bicycle, however, are less of a priority despite 14, 231 (1) children being killed or injured as pedestrians on the road last year.

Ready Brek surveyed parents and children about improvements they would like to see local authorities making to their roads. According to the research conducted as part of Ready Brek's road safety education in primary schools parents are worried about the conditions of their roads with 77% considering the roads in their local area to be un-safe for children.

Liz Barkwith, Senior Accident Prevention Officer, LARSOA comments, "the research is valuable feedback from those we are trying to protect. Parents must realise that the most effective way to raise their child's road safety awareness is to teach them by example. Children are not able to judge distance and speed of traffic so it is even more important that they are taught basic rules to follow for example obeying traffic lights at all times.

13 children get killed or seriously injured on the road each day - it is essential parents are confident they are ready for the road, my advice is to plan and practice every day journeys and if children do go on their own follow and make sure they are acting as you showed."

The survey found that 41% of parents who drove to and from school actually lived less than a mile away. Barkwith comments: "Children travelling regularly by car don't get the road experience or develop the awareness that those who walk or cycle do. Parents who live so close to the school grounds need to make a committed effort to teach their child road skills by not driving. They would also help reduce congestion."

Interesting survey findings:

- Alarmingly, over half of the children surveyed (51%) admitted that they do not always wear a cycle helmet

- 17% of children questioned thought travelling to school by car was the ideal way to get to school

- Three times more children would like to cycle to school than actually do

- Nearly a third of their parents (31%) would be more likely to let their child cycle if there were sufficient cycle paths in place

Ready Brek asked parents for their top ten road improvement suggestions they would like to see in place:

    Position               Top Ten Road Improvement Suggestions
    1        More pedestrian crossings
    2        More School Crossing Patrollers / Lollipop Persons / ensure that
             a lollipop person is on duty at all times
    3        More cycle paths / lanes
    4        Fewer parked cars and increased car parking restrictions
    5=       General speed restrictions / limits
    5=       Fewer cars on the road
    7        Increased traffic calming measures: more speed bumps / ramps /
             cushions / sleeping policeman
    8        The lowering of speed limits near schools
    9        A greater police presence
    10       More speed cameras

Notes to editors:

(1) www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk

- Research was carried out with a sample of 500 parents with primary school aged children.

- Log on to www.readybrek.co.uk/roadsafety for more road safety information

- Ready Brek is the kid's hot oat cereal produced by Weetabix Ltd

Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster Michelle Parrish/Sarah Jaconelli T: +44-207-022-4000, E: firstname.lastname@bisslancaster.com