Road Safety

[Chase00]

Hello all! I'm a paediatric doctor and mum of two. I'm new to this forum so I hope I get this right! I'm interested to know your thoughts on the decline in a national road safety education campaign or programme for children today. Road accidents kill more children each year than any other cause and because of funding cuts there is no campaign aimed at educating our children. What are your thoughts and experiences? Would you support a new (unfunded) campaign if I started one up?! Thank you!

[TheWhompingWilly]

What was the campaign before and how has it declined? I hadn't noticed any decline, to be honest. My DCs did a road safety course in primary school and it was also covered in their Beaver group. Is it currently offered in all primary schools or were we just lucky?

[Chase00]

There used to be the tufty club, the green cross code, the hedgehog campaign. Department for transport budget cuts mean no more money for a national campaign, some councils still offer a little bit of education but not in every school and their budgets, staffing and resources are disappearing at an alarming rate. Very little formal education around, no continuity and certainly not available to all. Thank you for your reply!

[TheWhompingWilly]

I'm old enough to remember the Tufty Club and the Green Cross code adverts!

I suppose I just hadn't noticed that there is no national campaign, but I guess there just aren't the public service adverts these days that there used to be. Remember Joe and Petunia's 'call the coastguard' ad? The 'Charlie says' one about not going with strangers?

I'm sure budget cuts are a big part of it but perhaps it's felt that, with so many channels and ways of viewing, a TV ad campaign just doesn't reach the target market in the same way the old Green Cross Code adverts did. If you want a campaign to reach all children, schools are probably your best bet, though I haven't the foggiest how you're going to fund that or if every school would be willing to make time in their curriculum.

I'd definitely support a campaign. Just no idea how you'd get one going!

[Chase00]

Thank you! Agree schools will be key and currently building relationships go get something going. Lots of other plans afoot, none of which need to cost money but do depend on social media/media/parents/schools to help spread. For example the first thing I've done is made this film (for free with friends) and I've put it on YouTube in the hope people will watch it, share it with their children and then share it with their friends. Would you take a look and see what you think? X

[TheWhompingWilly]

Loved the way the film is presented by children. It is quite long, though. Might be better to tackle aspects of the campaign separately in shorter clips that several in a longer film. Eg have one on car seat safety, one on the Green Cross Code, etc.