MP calls for child road safety awareness going into winter

On a visit to Penketh High School, Mr Carter met with year seven pupils who were taking part in a road safety session with assistance from Warrington Borough Council’s road safety team.

The session involved distributing reflective safety equipment such as hi-vis jackets to aid children when travelling to and from school in the dark.

Mr Carter said: “I recently met with the Child Brain Injury Trust in Parliament, who told me that road traffic collisions are the leading cause of acquired brain injury in the children they support across the UK in the last twelve months, making up twenty per cent of all referrals throughout the country.

“Twenty two per cent of children in the north west referred to the charity in the last year are receiving support for an acquired brain injury that has occurred as a result of a road traffic collision.

“As the days get shorter and we have children walking to and from school in the dark, it is a timely reminder that adding something bright to their clothing helps drivers to see them in the dark. This is crucial as we head into the winter months this time of year.”

Mr Carter also says he is very glad to see that schools in Warrington are fully engaged with making sure their pupils understand the importance of road safety.

He added his support to the Child Brain Injury Trust’s flagship awareness raising campaign, GloWeek, which highlights the importance of being seen at night in order to increase road safety.

The campaign aims to reduce the number of road traffic collisions sustained by children by asking those most vulnerable on the roads to don brightly coloured clothing during trips out, increasing their visibility to other road users.

The MP spoke with some of the charity’s staff and supporters, including its chief executive, one of its acquired brain injury co-ordinators and the parent of a child the charity is supporting.