In 2003 Road Safety Scotland launched Streetsense, a road safety educational resource for primary schools. Road Safety Officers covering all areas of Scotland were interviewed, 11 in person and 16 by telephone. Visits were made to 8 primary schools, with a further 4 schools contacted by telephone to discuss reasons for non-use. A self-completion survey was sent to 598 schools across Scotland and 240 responses were received. Four-fifths of schools indicated that they have a copy of Streetsense. 19% of schools considered that Streetsense was well promoted. Just over a quarter of schools that use Streetsense had received training. 76% of those having a copy of Streetsense used it., mostly in earlier primary school year groups. The lesson plans, teachers' notes and worksheets were considered the most useful components of Streetsense. 83% of teachers felt that Streetsense catered well for mixed ability classes. Children enjoyed Streetsense and it was considered easy to use. 12% considered that the illustrations were overly childlike. 18% of schools had too few copies of Streetsense. 47% of teachers felt that Streetsense had made a significant impact on children's knowledge of road safety. A third of respondents indicated a significant improvement in attitude and 18% indicated a significant improvement in behaviour in the vicinity of the school. Recommendations include increased promotion of Streetsense, printing of further copies, and increased awareness and use of the Streetsense website.
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