RSRL encourages children to ‘Be Seen, be Safe’
June 18, 2010
Research Sites Restoration Ltd has joined forces with Oxfordshire County Council to provide high visibility jackets to children in and around Wantage.
The Oxfordshire County Council, who provides cycle training to schools in Oxfordshire, is currently preparing 11-year-olds for their transition to Senior School. They have all completed their cycle training, which involves making decisions about priority when navigating traffic (starting and stopping safely, major to minor and minor to major manoeuvres, together with overtaking parked cars etc.) and is designed to help children develop the skills needed to cope with moving traffic and awareness of other road users.
This initiative aims to encourage Year 6 pupils, moving to senior school in September, to take extra care when walking home or cycling to and from school. As children make this transition, greater independence brings with it a hugely increased risk of being killed or seriously injured in a road accident, therefore, it is important for children to be aware of the dangers when riding a bike, whilst making sure that they are visible to other road users at all times.
Kathleen Stevenson, RSRL Director for Safety and Environment, who recently distributed high visibility jackets to Millbrook School in Grove, said “high visibility jackets provide a simple preventative measure in reducing the risk of injury. We are delighted to support this initiative which complements our ongoing commitment towards safety, one of our core values, and our philosophy of being community focused”.
Wendy Jennings, Oxfordshire Council Council's Road Safety Officer, said: "as well as a properly maintained bicycle and correctly fitted cycle helmet, we require that students wear this type of visible clothing when they take part in our on road cycle training scheme, but are concerned that most will not have this type of safety clothing for personal use when cycling out and about afterwards. RSRL's kind donation of high visibility jackets to 100 local Yr 6 children is very welcome and should help keep them safer, particularly during the autumn months".
The remainder of the schools to benefit from this initiative include: Chilton School, The Hendreds, and Grove Primary.
For more information please contact Lesley Cox, RSRL Communications, Harwell
Picture L-R: Kathleen Stevenson, RSRL Director; Jane Beckley, teacher at King Alfred’s School and Governor at Millbrook Primary School; Wendy Jennings and Julie Jones, Oxfordshire County Council’s Road Safety Officers with Children at Millbrook School, Grove
