Ahead of the new school year, parents are being encouraged to help children learn the Green Cross Code ‘as they would their spelling or times tables’.
The plea comes from the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL), on the back of a survey which reveals two-thirds of parents do not think their children understand road dangers or concentrate properly when near roads.
The survey, commissioned for Injury Prevention Week (17-21 August), also shows one in eight parents say they are ‘very concerned’ about their children’s safety.
Sam Elsby, president of APIL, said: “The Highway Code states that children should not be allowed out alone until they can understand and use the Green Cross Code properly.
“So it is particularly important for those children who may be walking to school without a parent or guardian for the first time this term.
“I urge parents to be proactive. Support children in their knowledge and understanding as it is their best tool for avoiding harm on the roads.
“Test them in the same way you would test them on their spellings or times tables.”
Injury Prevention Week is organised by APIL – a not-for-profit organisation which campaigns to prevent needless injuries.
The 2020 week has a focus on child pedestrian safety, and uses the hashtag #IPWeek2020 on social media.
Or… a better title might be “is the approaching motorist road safety aware” – which is more to the point. He/she are in charge of a potentially lethal moving machine and need to learn how to avoid children in the roadspace ahead of them…after all, they’re not moving that fast compared to the moving vehicle.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
--6
The title of this article should be, Are parents road safety aware, As I am driving about you see small children on their little bikes the parent seemingly not concerned that their child is not within grabbing distance, You see children running ahead still no concern shown, too busy on their phones, So to the children I think their danger awareness to be appaling,are schools teaching road awareness,One of the worst thing I witnessed was an adult with a child aged about 5,come upto a traffic light the adult stops the press the button but the child kept going luckly she grabbed the child back but not before the child entered the road.
colin, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
+6