Road deaths are the biggest ‘accidental’ cause of death of children and young people. All kids and young people use roads and have experienced road danger, so it’s the perfect topic for a project that can really engage them as well as save their lives, while also meeting curriculum goals. Road Safety Week is the ideal time to do it!
Last year thousands of educators ran a whole host of road safety activities, to help engage children and young people in road safety issues and spread life-saving messages within their communities. For example, Cults Primary School in Aberdeen involved all pupils in activities and normal lessons were themed on road safety. Children designed posters and banners and created their own road safety dvd, took part in Brake’s Beep Beep! Day and Bright Day initiatives and were joined by Brake’s mascot Zak the Zebra (see photo, left). They also teamed up with local organisations to provide prizes and road safety goodies to the children including hi-viz vests and reflectors.
Help children and young people ‘look out for each other‘ by joining the thousands of educators signing up to run a road safety project in Road Safety Week, and we’ll stay in touch with you along the way, helping you to run a great activities.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
If you work with 11-18 year-olds, use Brake and RSA’s hands-up survey for teens as the basis for a lesson or discussion on pedestrian and cyclist safety. You then fill in the results online to help inform Brake’s campaigns and engagement work.
Hold a special road safety assembly or open event for parents.
Run a campaign for safer roads in your community, which could involve local media and officials. Read advice from our road safety mascot, Zak the Zebra.
Fundraise for Brake and encourage local drivers to slow down and look out for pedestrians and cyclists by running a Bright Day for Brake (a dress-down day with a difference where everyone wears something really bright!)
Make a road safety display in the school. Find out about free and low-cost resources from Brake.
Promote road safety in your newsletter and website. Encourage parents to sign the Brake Pledge to drive safely.
Order a Road Safety Week banner to display in your school, college or community venue. The banner is 6ft x 1 ½ft, and costs £90 +VAT to order. View the banner. Contact Joe Burns at jburns@brake.org.uk or 01484 550059 for more details.
Challenge students to create a road safety poster/leaflet/banner/film/play and enter our 2young2die competition for young people.
Attend a low-cost, one-day 2young2die course to help you run interactive workshops and get young people involved in promoting road safety. Find out more.
Run practical roadside pedestrian or cycle training with help from your local authority.
Invite your local road safety team, police officer or lollipop person to deliver a talk about road safety.