A new online game to help reduce the number of children killed and injured on Britain’s roads was launched last week by Paul Clark, road safety minister.
‘The Code of Everand’ uses a virtual world to help children develop skills – such as finding a safe place to cross and planning ahead – which will help them to stay safe in the real world.
These skills are particularly vital for children as they make the transition from primary to secondary school and start making longer journeys on their own.
The multi-player online game is set in the fantasy land of Everand which is criss-crossed by spirit channels and inhabited by dangerous creatures. Players are ‘Pathfinders’, the heroes of the society, who travel about the land and are trained to cross the spirit channels safely. In a world first, the game uses real road data so players confront hazards based on the real situations that children face on the roads.
Paul Clark said: “Previous THINK! campaigns have been very effective in teaching young people about road safety. Despite this, 17 children aged 10-12 were killed while walking on Britain’s roads last year and more than 500 were seriously injured. That is why we need to continue to do everything we can to give children the skills they need to stay safe.
"Today’s young people have access to more media than any before and their attitudes to communications have become much more sophisticated. The Code of Everand reflects this sophistication and by communicating with children through a medium they already enjoy using we hope to improve their understanding of the importance of safe road behaviour."
THINK! has taken advice from leading figures in education and gaming and has worked with renowned games specialist Area/Code to create The Code of Everand.
Click here to read the full DfT news release.
I would like to see the research into the transference of skills from a fantasy computer game to a real life environment.
There is also a problem with the way that games create a target fixation straight ahead, the scenario moves to suit the stare of the game player, it will train them not to need to move the head to scan for danger. Compare it with teenage drivers and their lack of peripheral vision. They only react to things that happen straight ahead of them they do not anticipate!
Steve Jarrett, Norfolk.
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