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IAM calls for road safety to be part of National Curriculum

Start them young, says motoring campaign group

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has called for traffic education to be part of the National Curriculum, in an effort to cut the numbers of young people killed and injured on UK roads.

The IAM’s Road Safety Manifesto has ‘reducing young driver risk’ as one of its central aims. The first part of the manifesto calls for road safety education to be part of the curriculum.

Neil Greig, IAM Director of Policy and Research, said: “Unless it’s part of the curriculum, it won’t become part of a young person’s thinking and educators won’t be obliged to teach it. Other countries have teaching on road safety as part of primary and secondary education, so why should we not have it too?”

The IAM says that a recent survey by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) found only eight of fifteen European countries had mandatory traffic education in schools.

Germany, and Poland are among the nations that operate mandatory traffic education programmes. Others, including France and the UK have voluntary programmes to teach children about road safety.

Some might say that putting the onus on children to be safe in traffic borders on victim blaming.

The IAM says that there's a two-wheeled element to some of the courses.

In Germany two years are dedicated to teaching children how to ride a bicycle in traffic, while in Poland rules applying to pedestrians, cyclists and moped riders are taught to youngsters at seven and 15 years old.

Although the numbers of people killed and injured on UK roads have been steadily decreasing for many years, the rate of decrease has been slowing down recently.

The total reported child casualities (ages 0-15) fell by 9 per cent to 15,756 in 2013. The number of children killed or seriously injured also fell, decreasing by 13 per cent to 1,980 in 2013.

However pedestrians were the second highest casualty type by category.

Despite the fall in casualty numbers, the IAM has said the figures remain unacceptable and has repeatedly called for greater training and awareness to help deliver a further marked reduction.

Greig added: “Some countries in Europe have very structured and well organised programmes aimed at young people through their time in education. With ambitious targets being set on reducing the numbers of young people killed and injured on our roads, we believe having road safety education as part of the National Curriculum is a sure way to achieving those aims.”

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13 comments

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Stratman | 9 years ago
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Having looked at the link, it appears that the main thrust of their argument is about teaching drivers to drive better. They do also refer to making riders safer, to the need for better cycling infrastructure and for training of road safety in schools - which I took to mean both as pedestrians, cyclists and drivers-to-be.

Still some resistance to lower speed limits (self enforced 20mph zones are referred to), a dislike of speed cameras and calls for training in response to convictions.

All in all not too bad for a motoring institute. Not sure how much of it is evidence based, but you wouldn't necessarily expect that to be brought out in a short manifesto.

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CarlosFerreiro | 9 years ago
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Looks like an opportunity for joined up thinking here. Teach the kids how to walk and cycle on the roads and during the practicals have them accompanied by a police officer to ticket any drivers who don't do their bit. Everybody learns to do what they are meant to do. IAM has to support that?  3

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badback | 9 years ago
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My wife teaches Bikeability and she's told me stories about what kids think motorists will or will not do.

She's asked the kids where they've picked up these ideas and it's mainly based on what they've seen when when they've been sat in the back of cars or what they've been 'told'.

The recurrent ones seem to be that all cars are out to kill them (which installs little confidence when they are riding on the road) and doing the Christian motorists bit letting traffic out of side roads and vehicles turn right in front of them.

She's also told me stories about some drivers having absolutely no patience when it comes to giving a snake of half a dozen eight year old cyclists a little time which does little to help giving children the confidence to ride on the road.

I personally think that any form of road safety training is great. If it saves one life be it stopping someone being an accident statistic due to giving them some road sense or making them a more considerate motorist in the future bring it on.

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ChairRDRF | 9 years ago
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If it is traditional “road safety” – which was set up by the motoring lobby in the 1920s to get people to accept what motorists wanted to do – absolutely not.

To understand the difference between “road safety” and road danger reduction, see www.rdrf.org.uk and the theoretical basis here http://rdrf.org.uk/death-on-the-streets-cars-and-the-mythology-of-road-s...

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gazza_d | 9 years ago
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All well and good provided that it is actually about using streets and roads for walking and cycling dressed normally and not as a refugee from a building site.

Also lets make sure people on foot and bikes have priority and do not have to wait doffing caps like victorian schoolchildren at drivers as they have to wait to cross the roads.

Teach the parents who ferry the kids around in armoured personnel carriers to be respectful to other road users as well. And to leave the fecking thing at home for short journies

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Joselito | 9 years ago
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OK Mr Grieg...
"Other countries have teaching on road safety as part of primary and secondary education, so why should we not have it too?”

Other countries also have 'presumed liability'.
Can we have that first?

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mike the bike | 9 years ago
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It's the schoolteachers I feel sorry for, amidst the constant cries to include yet more parental duties in the curriculum.

What with teaching kids to use a knife and fork, tie their shoe laces, wash their hands, share the toys, speak without swearing, stop hitting little Jimmy, use toilet paper, how to be a citizen, personal finance, swim, sex education, arrive on time, stay all day, wear the uniform, stay awake, and the thousand other things mums and dads can't be arsed to do, it's a wonder there's any time for minor issues like education.

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Username replied to mike the bike | 9 years ago
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mike the bike wrote:

It's the schoolteachers I feel sorry for, amidst the constant cries to include yet more parental duties in the curriculum.

What with teaching kids to use a knife and fork, tie their shoe laces, wash their hands, share the toys, speak without swearing, stop hitting little Jimmy, use toilet paper, how to be a citizen, personal finance, swim, sex education, arrive on time, stay all day, wear the uniform, stay awake, and the thousand other things mums and dads can't be arsed to do, it's a wonder there's any time for minor issues like education.

There isn't, that's why parents are expected to spend hours every evening teaching numeracy and literacy to their kids.

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ct | 9 years ago
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My eldest had cycling proficiency [or whatever it is now called] when he was 10 or so. Followed by 2 talks by the police a year later...these destroyed his confidence almost completely. The second police session ending with 'cars will kill you'

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mrmo | 9 years ago
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not to knock the idea, but would this be the same idea of road safety that demands pedestrians and cyclists wear hi-viz because drivers can do no wrong?

The idea of teaching road safety makes perfect sense, I despair in the knowledge that road safety will mean keep out of the way of the car god. Never go anywhere or do anything that might inconvenience a car driver.

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jacknorell | 9 years ago
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"The number of children killed or seriously injured also fell, decreasing by 13 per cent to 1,980 in 2013."

Not surprising, I rarely see any kids out on the streets unless with their parents. Even in say Victoria Park, on a nice summer's day, it's usually 95% adults.

They're no longer let outside because the roads are, subjectively, too dangerous.

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ChairRDRF replied to jacknorell | 9 years ago
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jacknorell wrote:

"The number of children killed or seriously injured also fell, decreasing by 13 per cent to 1,980 in 2013."

Not surprising, I rarely see any kids out on the streets unless with their parents. Even in say Victoria Park, on a nice summer's day, it's usually 95% adults.

They're no longer let outside because the roads are, subjectively, too dangerous.

not just subjectively - objectively as well. Or to be even more precise, the motor vehicle drivers are.

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DaveE128 | 9 years ago
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Good idea, I think. I intend to teach my kids about road safety as you as possible as they will probably end up riding on the road at some point before they learn to drive.

It's shocking how few people understand all road signs in the UK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5366286/Drivers-do-not-understa...

Maybe it shouldn't only be kids that have to have classes in road safety!  3

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