School Children at Risk on Roads

Startling research has found a worrying trend in road traffic accidents involving children in the hours immediately before and after school.

On one school day in 2011, there were reports of 126 children aged 10 or 11 killed or seriously injured on UK roads.

It is thought that this trend is directly linked to mobile phone use. Reports suggest that by the age of 12 nearly 73 per cent of children have a mobile phone. Of which a quarter openly admitted being distracted by technology whilst crossing the road.

Figures from the Telegraph report that between 2002 and 2011, 32,849 children under the age of fifteen were killed or seriously injured on UK roads.

“There is clear evidence that mobile phone use does not just make people bad drivers. The devices also impair pedestrian reaction times and lead to flawed judgements about when and where it is safe to cross” explains Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation.

Glaister went on to say: “Research suggests that when it comes to children’s road safety the behaviour of parents is just as important as lessons learned at school. Adults need to set a good example whether they are behind the wheel or on foot.”

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