Midlothian youngsters set road safety example

Pupils at Eastfield Primary School, Midlothian have completed all three skills in a Kerbcraft road safety programme that is being run as a pilot in Scotland.

The pupils learnt how to choose a safe place to cross, cross safely at parked cars, and cross safely near junctions, and received a Kerbcraft certificate at a recent school assembly.

The Kerbcraft pilot is being funded by the Scottish Executive, and aims to teach pedestrian skills to five and six-year-olds. The initiative uses a practical approach to road safety, focussing on roadside training rather than a classroom-based approach. Another feature of the project is that children are taught by trained volunteers - mainly parents and grandparents of pupils at the schools.

Midlothian is one of 12 Scottish local authorities taking part in the Kerbcraft pilot, which runs over three years.