Durham County Council’s road safety team has piloted a Junior Road Safety Officer (JRSO) scheme in nine primary schools across the county.
The scheme involves the road safety team working alongside teams of young volunteers, who help to educate their peers, parents and teachers on road safety and ways they can keep themselves safer when using the roads.
Alan Kennedy, Durham County Council’s road safety section manager, said: “This is an exciting initiative that I’m sure will capture the imagination of the children.
“Who better to help identify and spread the word about issues relating to the safety of pupils, than the pupils themselves? I am sure they will be willing and extremely able and I am really looking forward to having them on board.”
The JRSO role includes creating a notice board, speaking in assemblies, holding competitions and organising campaigns.
The road safety team has also developed a resource pack to support the JRSOs, and their opinions were included in the development of the pack. Now that the resource pack is complete more schools will be invited to join the scheme.
Cllr Bob Young, portfolio holder for strategic environment and leisure, said: “We want our young people to have the very best knowledge possible to keep them safer and this is a great way of harnessing their enthusiasm and ideas to help us do just that.
“I am sure they will enjoy this opportunity to help us tackle road safety issues in County Durham and I love the fact that they are approaching the challenges with such energy.”
For more information contact Alison Lonsdale on 0191 383 3769.
This scheme has been running in Leicestershire primary schools for many years and does beneficially impact on pupil road safety awareness. We are still however trying to achieve 100% participation – unfortunately some headteachers do not appreciate the value of the scheme.
Peter Roffey, Melton Mowbray
0