IAM calls for road safety to be part of National Curriculum

Having looked at the link, it appears that the main thrust of their argument is about teaching drivers to drive better. They do also refer to making riders safer, to the need for better cycling infrastructure and for training of road safety in schools - which I took to mean both as pedestrians, cyclists and drivers-to-be.

Still some resistance to lower speed limits (self enforced 20mph zones are referred to), a dislike of speed cameras and calls for training in response to convictions.

All in all not too bad for a motoring institute. Not sure how much of it is evidence based, but you wouldn't necessarily expect that to be brought out in a short manifesto.

Looks like an opportunity for joined up thinking here. Teach the kids how to walk and cycle on the roads and during the practicals have them accompanied by a police officer to ticket any drivers who don't do their bit. Everybody learns to do what they are meant to do. IAM has to support that?

My wife teaches Bikeability and she's told me stories about what kids think motorists will or will not do.

She's asked the kids where they've picked up these ideas and it's mainly based on what they've seen when when they've been sat in the back of cars or what they've been 'told'.

The recurrent ones seem to be that all cars are out to kill them (which installs little confidence when they are riding on the road) and doing the Christian motorists bit letting traffic out of side roads and vehicles turn right in front of them.

She's also told me stories about some drivers having absolutely no patience when it comes to giving a snake of half a dozen eight year old cyclists a little time which does little to help giving children the confidence to ride on the road.

I personally think that any form of road safety training is great. If it saves one life be it stopping someone being an accident statistic due to giving them some road sense or making them a more considerate motorist in the future bring it on.

If it is traditional “road safety” – which was set up by the motoring lobby in the 1920s to get people to accept what motorists wanted to do – absolutely not.

To understand the difference between “road safety” and road danger reduction, see www.rdrf.org.uk and the theoretical basis here http://rdrf.org.uk/death-on-the-streets-cars-and-the-mythology-of-road-s...

All well and good provided that it is actually about using streets and roads for walking and cycling dressed normally and not as a refugee from a building site.

Also lets make sure people on foot and bikes have priority and do not have to wait doffing caps like victorian schoolchildren at drivers as they have to wait to cross the roads.

Teach the parents who ferry the kids around in armoured personnel carriers to be respectful to other road users as well. And to leave the fecking thing at home for short journies

OK Mr Grieg...
"Other countries have teaching on road safety as part of primary and secondary education, so why should we not have it too?”

Other countries also have 'presumed liability'.
Can we have that first?

It's the schoolteachers I feel sorry for, amidst the constant cries to include yet more parental duties in the curriculum.

What with teaching kids to use a knife and fork, tie their shoe laces, wash their hands, share the toys, speak without swearing, stop hitting little Jimmy, use toilet paper, how to be a citizen, personal finance, swim, sex education, arrive on time, stay all day, wear the uniform, stay awake, and the thousand other things mums and dads can't be arsed to do, it's a wonder there's any time for minor issues like education.

My eldest had cycling proficiency [or whatever it is now called] when he was 10 or so. Followed by 2 talks by the police a year later...these destroyed his confidence almost completely. The second police session ending with 'cars will kill you'

not to knock the idea, but would this be the same idea of road safety that demands pedestrians and cyclists wear hi-viz because drivers can do no wrong?

The idea of teaching road safety makes perfect sense, I despair in the knowledge that road safety will mean keep out of the way of the car god. Never go anywhere or do anything that might inconvenience a car driver.

"The number of children killed or seriously injured also fell, decreasing by 13 per cent to 1,980 in 2013."

Not surprising, I rarely see any kids out on the streets unless with their parents. Even in say Victoria Park, on a nice summer's day, it's usually 95% adults.

They're no longer let outside because the roads are, subjectively, too dangerous.

Good idea, I think. I intend to teach my kids about road safety as you as possible as they will probably end up riding on the road at some point before they learn to drive.

It's shocking how few people understand all road signs in the UK: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5366286/Drivers-do-not-understa...

Maybe it shouldn't only be kids that have to have classes in road safety!