THINK! campaign launches teenage near miss initiative in wake of survey findings

Survey results published on 10 May by the DfT’s THINK! campaign reveal that 41 per cent of 11-16 year old pedestrians and cyclists have had a near miss and come close to having a road accident. The survey was carried out by SMRC ChildWise in January 2004, and the sample comprised 1071 children aged 11 to 16 from across the UK.

Although the number of teenagers killed or seriously injured on roads is falling, traffic is still the biggest single cause of death in 12-16 year-olds. This is why the THINK! campaign has enlisted the support of Brit Award-winner Lemar to help remind young people to keep their eyes and minds on the road when walking or cycling.

"Life is full of distractions - whether it’s mobile phones, your mates or just your mind on something else," Lemar said. "But you need to keep your wits about you when you’re out and about on the roads. I’m lending my support to this campaign to encourage teenagers to realise just how important road safety is."

The survey also found that more than a quarter of 11-16 year olds had been involved in a near miss when travelling on foot, one in seven had been involved in a near miss when riding their bikes, and 69 per cent had friends or family members who had experienced an accident near miss.

The THINK! campaign has developed a new poster to show teenagers the dangers revealed by this survey. The poster will be available for RSOs to order from Friday 14 May, by phoning 0870 1226 236 and quoting TINF920A (A4 size), TINF920B(A3 size) or TINF920C (A2 size).

As well as the poster campaign, THINK! aims to get road safety messages out to teenagers through My House, a hard-hitting cinema and satellite TV advert featuring teenagers from Eltham Green School in London, and a radio campaign running on regional youth radio stations. Advice on teen cycling is also available through www.cyclesense.net.

To help parents reinforce road safety messages to teenagers in a way that still supports their independence, the THINK! campaign has produced Road Safety Advice for Parents of 11-16 Year Olds, which covers a range of information on pedestrian and cycle safety. RSOs can obtain copies of the guide by calling 0870 1226 236 and quoting T/INF/807.

"In 2002, more than 150 12-16 year-olds were killed on the roads and nearly 20,000 were injured," road safety minister David Jamieson said.

"It’s encouraging to see that accident rates among young pedestrians and cyclists are coming down. We want to build on the increased road safety awareness among young people to make sure that they take the necessary precautions when they’re out on the roads and don’t put themselves at risk."

For further information, including additional facts and figures and spokespeople, please contact Britta Priebe on 0207 9444976 or Britta.Priebe@dft.gsi.gov.uk.