Drive to reduce child casualties praised

OLDHAM was today praised for trying to reduce the number of young people killed on its roads as Britain continues to lag behind in child pedestrian safety.

A report by the National Audit Office (NAO) said while Britain was fifth overall for the least number of road deaths per head of population internationally, it was only 11th out of 24 for pedestrian deaths, and even worse at 17th for child deaths.

The Oldham 3 till 7 project, aimed at educating children and parents on road safety was highlighted in the report for its excellent work.

The two-year scheme ended in March and is currently being evaluated and results will be published in July.

The project saw pupils aged five to 11 visiting accident sites and being asked to think about specific dangers. In addition work was done in the classroom and seminars held for parents.

A Department for Transport spokesman said government remained committed to reducing death and serious injuries on the roads of children under 17 by 50 per cent by 2020.

She added: “We will continue to promote cycle and pedestrian training to give children the practical skills to keep safe on the roads.”