Helping children stay safe on our roads
We want all children in Scotland to learn about road safety from an early age.
Making road safety an important part of every child’s life
Collisions on our roads are still one of the main reasons children and young people die accidentally every year.
At Road Safety Scotland we want to make sure all youngsters have the knowledge and practical skills they need to help them stay safe on our roads.
What you need to know:
- We work together with professionals in education to offer a range of resources
- We believe in making road safety accessible to all children in Scotland
- Our resources cover children and young people from 3 to 18 years old
- Early years are important for learning about road safety
- All of the work we do is linked to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
How we help children learn about road safety
We work in partnership with professionals in the education field. This includes Education Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate.
Together, we aim to produce a quality range of road safety learning resources that children engage with – giving them the knowledge and skills to stay safe on the road.
Access for every child in Scotland
We believe that road safety learning should be accessible for all children and young people in Scotland aged between 3 and 18 years old.
Our learning resources have always been ‘child-centric’. They’re co-produced with teachers and linked to Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
About the resources we offer:
- Our resources are designed to encourage active and experiential learning
- They address issues like risk-taking, decision-making and peer pressure, which all influence the ability to minimise risk
- We also focus on self-reflection, relating to making choices and behaviours around roads
- Feedback from children is used in the development of our resources
The importance of early learning
A lot of our adult life is influenced by our early years. So giving children the best possible start can help them get ready for later life. Experiences early on can also inspire learning and skills development.
We work with Early Learning & Childcare Centres (ELC), parents and communities to produce good quality resources that are ‘fit-for-purpose’.
- Key messages at important early stages help minimise any risks children face when out and about
- As children develop, learning can be practically applied on real roads when the time’s right
- Their learning journey explores key road safety themes through active experience and play
Learning at every level of Curriculum for Excellence
Working with organisations, schools and the wider community means we can engage with children and young people and, ultimately, help them learn about road safety – an essential life skill.
That’s why road safety learning is at every level within Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence.
Curriculum for Excellence (CfE)
This helps children and young people gain the knowledge, skills and personal attributes needed to succeed. It places learners at the heart of education, focusing on four key areas:
- Successful Learners
- Confident Individuals
- Responsible Citizens
- Effective Contributors
The Road Safety within Curriculum for Excellence 2024-25 Booklet
- This offers information on road safety resources developed specifically to support Curriculum for Excellence in all schools
- The learning approaches highlighted in the booklet help to show the range of opportunities available