“To be effective, road safety education needs to be provided on a systematic and continuous basis in pre-school establishments, primary and secondary schools, within out of school activities and places of further education.”
That’s the message from Michael McDonnell, director of Road Safety Scotland, during his opening keynote address of the 2021 Festival of Road Safety.
In his presentation, published at 10.00am today (1 Nov) and titled, ‘Developing safe road users through lifelong learning’, Michael stresses the importance of road safety professionals understanding how children learn, and the developmental process of the child and young brain.
He explains that ‘even pre-birth, there is stuff going on and the brain is making links to things’.
A former primary school teacher, Michael goes on to say that ‘much of the work done in schools can be undone by parents, which is why it is important that we also influence parents’.
He then shows a video produced several years ago and aimed at parents, which ends with the question: “What kind of driver are you teaching your child to be?”
He concludes with two quotes – the one in the opening para above (from the United Nations) and the famous Jesuit quote: “Give me the child and I will mould the man.”
These two statements, he says are fundamental to the approach to road safety education in Scotland.
Coming up later today
At 14.00, the Festival’s first fringe presentation will be delivered by Tony Crook, lead officer for road safety, National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), who will provide an update on the work of the NFCC’s Road Safety Group.
Looking ahead to tomorrow
Day two opens at 10.00 with a podcast hosted by Nick Rawlings and featuring guest Vicky Harvey, vice-chair of Road Safety GB. During the podcast Vicky outlines her vision for a more consistent standard and approach to delivery of road safety ETP across the UK, and the role that she believes Road Safety GB could play in achieving this.
Then, in a fringe presentation at 14.00, David Gribble, chief executive officer at the Constable Care Foundation in Australia, will explain how augmented reality can be deployed as a cost effective and engaging education tool for vulnerable road users.
The 2021 Festival is being organised by Road Safety GB and sponsored by Jenoptik. For more information contact either Nick Rawlings or Edward Seaman by email or on 01379 650112.
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