This summary outlines the findings and recommendations of a major research project, carried out over five years, in Sheffield and Hertfordshire, to develop ways of teaching road safety in schools. The project was initiated following the Government's review "Road Safety - The Next Steps", which in 1987 set a target to reduce all road casualties by one third by the year 2000. The review concluded that education had a major role to play in achieving this target. In 1990, the secretary of State for Transport sent a copy of his Department's strategic proposals for reducing child road accidents - "Children and Roads : A Safer Way" - to all Head teachers. At the same time, the Secretary of State for Education sent draft Good Practice Guidelines, based on the preliminary findings of the research project, to all Chief Education Officers. This summary reports on the completed project, which has taken account of the many intervening changes in school curricula and management. The project was funded by the Department of Transport. It is recommended that the guidelines should be adopted by local authorities and that Road Safety Officers should co-ordinate the other involved agencies to develop in-service training (INSET). The schools guidelines are intended for distribution through INSET rather than to schools directly or unsolicited. (Author/publisher)
Abstract