Scottish Road Safety Week
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 ’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.
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 as 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.
