Initiative drives home safety message to parents

Dorset County Council's road safety team, supported by North Dorset Primary Care Trust, has launched a Practical Parent Safety Drive initiative.

The scheme offers parents the opportunity to refresh their defensive driving skills and knowledge through a 60-minute session with an experienced driving instructor. Dorset's figures show that in 2003 more children were injured during the school peak-time run as passengers in cars, than as pedestrians.

The pilot project provided a free session for about a dozen parents but others will be required to pay for a driving session in the two rural districts that are being targeted. One of the first parents to undertake the driving session was the director of public health at the North Dorset NHS Primary Care Trust.

"We believe this to be the first practical driver refresher scheme of its kind in Britain that specifically targets parents," said Robert Smith, road safety team leader. "There is no test or formal assessment following the one hour practical drive on local roads - simply a rare opportunity for parents to brush up on their defensive driving and hazard awareness skills and knowledge."

Further information is available by emailing Robert Smith: r.smith@dorsetcc.gov.uk.