In August 2003 the Scottish Executive commissioned ODS Ltd. and Market Research UK to carry out research into parental attitudes to road safety education (RSE) in Scotland. The study was to focus on parents of two specific age groups of children and young people: 7-13 year olds and 14-18 year olds. The impetus for this research has arisen out of previous studies that have demonstrated the central role that parents play in the road safety education of their children. Research has also found that the ability of parents to develop safe road safety education varies widely and depends on a range of factors and influences. The study brief set out a number of aims for the research: * To provide a literature review of existing research on parental attitudes to road safety education and parental influence on children’s road safety behaviour'* To assess parental understanding of children’s road safety risks among both age groups; * To find out what parents concerns are about their children in regard to road safety and to see what behaviours parents are encouraging in their children; * To explore parents’ image of road safety education, particularly at secondary school and, for both age groups of children, look into children’s attitudes towards road safety education and the control of their parents; * To establish the extent to which parents are willing to become involved in road safety education and how this might be facilitated; * To make recommendations on how to effectively involve parents of the different age groups in road safety education. The study follows on from previous research carried out by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign into the development of a Road Safety Education Strategy in Scotland. The outcome of this has been to focus on supporting the development of partnership based approaches to road safety education between schools, local road safety officers and parents. (Author/publisher)
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