New Children’s Traffic Clubs come to Lancashire

Road safety, healthy lifestyles and sustainable travel will be high up the agenda for Lancashire County Council’s new Children’s Traffic Clubs which will run in children centres, nurseries and primary schools.

The new Children’s Traffic Clubs will provide parents and carers with user-friendly material to teach their children how to stay safe on the roads and how to develop an active lifestyle by choosing to walk and cycle.

At the heart of the club are three DVD packs which feature weekly activities for children and parents. The DVDs are carefully structured to follow the child’s development. The simplest messages are introduced in the first pack, then repeated through the different characters, stories, games, songs and activities. They gradually increase complexity through each DVD.

Research has shown that joining the club encourages parents to talk to their children and builds confidence in teaching basic skills in road safety, sustainable travel and active healthy lifestyles.

The material will be offered to 32 children’s centres, nurseries and primary schools within the target areas. It has the potential to reach 4,647 children and their families.

Councillor John Fillis, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “Keeping children safe and healthy is one of our most important priorities. This initiative will help families to get the road safety message across to their children at home and encourage more walking and cycling.

“We know from research that involving parents and carers is a highly effective way of changing the behaviour both of children and their families.

“The county council’s road safety team already works closely with schools and children’s centres and I have no doubt this scheme will be both popular and successful.”

For more information contact Tom Walker at Lancashire County Council, on 01772 534372.