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Road safety education - Riding By

Riding By - A school road safety education programme

Years 4-6

Riding By is the middle primary programme in the Road Safe Series produced by the Police Youth Education Service in conjunction with McDonald's^TM.

The Road Safe Series is a co-ordinated series of programmes, providing young people with appropriate road safety skills and practises at all levels of their schooling.

Who is Riding By for?

The programme is designed for children from Year 4 to Year 6, that is 8-10 year-olds.

What is the aim of the programme?

Riding By aims to encourage children to develop knowledge, skills and positive attitudes to keep themselves safe on or near the road.

Why is the programme needed?

In 1995, 20 children in the 5-9 age group died in motor vehicle crashes. Of these, 9 were pedestrians, 6 were passengers, 4 were cyclists and 1 was 'other'. In addition, 14 children between 5 -14 years died as a result of falling from a horse and many were injured through leisure activities such as horse riding, skateboarding and skating.

Children in this age group need assistance to keep safe on or near the road as passengers, pedestrians, cyclists, or when they are involved in leisure activities. They are becoming more mobile and more independent, and so more at risk.

Riding By aims to help children develop their safety skills. Police and McDonald’s also recommend that children under the age of 10 do not ride bicycles unaccompanied on the road.

What are the objectives?

As they work through the programme, children will:

• demonstrate safe pedestrian and passenger behaviour and encourage others to do the same;
• demonstrate safe cycling practices when learning to ride bicycles in a controlled situation;
• identify potential hazards when walking or cycling in their local area and use appropriate strategies to keep themselves safe;
• describe safe ways to carry out leisure activities such as horse riding and roller blading, when on or near roads.

How is the programme organised?

The programme is organised into three stand alone modules:

Passenger and pedestrian
Focus question: What can I do to help keep me, and others, safe when walking or riding in cars and buses?
• On Two wheels
  Focus question: What do I need to know and do to make sure I learn to be a safe cyclist?
• Safe Fun
  Focus question: Why don't roads and leisure activities mix?

  These modules can be taken at different times of the year.

  
  Who teaches the programme?

  Riding By is designed to be taught by a classroom teacher in partnership with a trained police education officer. Each partner brings their own knowledge and expertise. The police education officer is a respected member of the community, experienced at teaching school road safety education. The teacher knows the children and their families and will be able to reinforce learning in an ongoing way.

  
  Where can Riding By fit within the school curriculum?

  Riding By fits within the following curriculum areas:

  • Health and Physical Well-being
  • Technology
  • Social Studies.

  It has, however, been written for use across curriculum areas, with activities for art, music, language and maths.

  
  How are parents and community involved?

  Children will benefit when their road safety education is reinforced at home and when their parents and caregivers provide positive role models. A letter is provided for parents and there are ample opportunities throughout the programme for parents to participate. Teachers are also encouraged to involve community people in lessons.

  
  How does a school get the programme?

  School should contact their local police education officers through their nearest Police Station. The officer will make teaching materials available to schools free of charge.