Rochdale’s Impact Partnership team has been attending new pupil induction evenings at schools across the borough, advising parents on road safety precautions that they and their children should take.
Stuart Howarth, RSO, said: "The casualty stats peak at ages 11/12, when students move from primary to high school.
"Combine this with the clocks going back, uniforms being dark in colour and all of today’s distractions that children carry (phones, I-pods etc) and it is becoming even more necessary to reach the parent before their child starts high school.
"Parents can help by planning the route to the new school with their child before September. They can go on a practice run and look for potential dangers.
"They can talk to their children about making responsible decisions like using safe places to cross busy roads. We also advise that knowing the route a child is taking helps parents if a child is late.
"And if a child travels to school by car, it is advisable to have a Plan B in case the driver, who normally collects the child, does not turn up."
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