Thousands of young people across South Lanarkshire are benefiting from a road safety programme aimed at creating safer communities. A report presented to the Roads Safety Forum on June 16 highlighted the wide range of projects delivered in schools and communities throughout the past year, with a strong focus on encouraging children and young people to develop safe habits from an early age.
Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme
Almost 100 schools are now involved in the popular Junior Road Safety Officer (JRSO) scheme, which empowers pupils to become ambassadors for road safety within their schools and local communities. The initiative sees pupils organise assemblies, competitions and awareness campaigns while promoting key messages around pedestrian safety, visibility and safe road crossing.
Council officers say the programme not only improves road safety awareness but also helps children develop leadership skills, confidence and a sense of responsibility.
Creative Competitions and Active Travel
Schools are also being encouraged to get creative through the annual Road Safety Calendar competition, with pupils across all age groups invited to design artwork around themes including passenger safety, travelling at safe speeds and staying focused as pedestrians. Active travel remains a major priority, with schools taking part in national initiatives such as Walk to School Week and the Big Walk and Wheel Challenge.
Councillor Robert Brown (Rutherglen South) questioned the financial side of national initiatives. He said: "That's an interesting report. A couple of things in the report, it talks about a lack of funding from the Scottish Government for the free walk to school week pack. I'm not really sure of the content of these but it sounds as if this is a huge financial commitment, is that something we should be considering doing from our own resources?" Council officers confirmed that the council has given materials to schools which has come at a significant cost.
Twenty-seven South Lanarkshire schools participated in this year's challenge, while encouraging pupils to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school rather than travelling by car. The council said promoting active travel helps improve physical and mental wellbeing, reduces congestion around and contributes to cleaner air and lower carbon emissions.
Secondary School Resources and Cycling Training
Road safety education is also being strengthened in secondary schools through a new national resource called 'Mechanimals', designed to tackle some of the biggest risks facing teenagers on Scotland's roads. Lessons focused on topics including avoiding distractions as pedestrians, speaking up as a passenger, the importance of wearing seatbelts and helping young people understand their responsibilities under the Highway Code.
As well as this, Bikeability Scotland training continues to expand across the region, helping children build confidence and develop the skills needed to cycle safely on public roads. The council's Bikebank scheme, which loans bicycles and helmets to schools, also remains in high demand, helping ensure no child misses out because of a lack of equipment. During the past year, 48 new cycle instructors have been trained to support the programme, which is backed by more than £41,000 of external funding.
