With clocks going back an hour on Sunday (28th October) the THINK! road safety campaign is reminding parents and children to ‘Be Safe Be Seen’ as the nights draw in. 

Child pedestrian road accidents are most likely to occur between the hours of 3.30pm - 4.00pm, in 2006, 60 children (aged 4-11) were killed or seriously injured while walking in the South East.

On Friday school children in London formed a human clock to help raise awareness amongst their peers about the importance of road safety, as part of the 2007 THINK! Be Safe Be Seen campaign.  Reading 3.45pm, the hands of the clock were formed by children wearing reflective clothing to highlight the time of day (3.30pm - 4.00pm) when child pedestrian road accidents are most likely to occur.

Minister for Road Safety, Jim Fitzpatrick said:

“Children need to be extra careful on the roads in the winter months. And at the same time, drivers also need to take extra care and look out for children.”

Road Safety Team Leader Keith Sinden said:

“This is a busy time of year for my team in East Sussex. As the clocks go back on Sunday and school kids return to school on Monday it is important for children and parents to take these basic safety messages on board.

“Since providing child pedestrian training based on the ‘kerb craft’ and ‘footsteps’ model, over the past seven years my team has reduced child casualties dramatically. They have dropped from 26 in 2001 to 16 in 2006 for 5-9 year olds. This emphasises the important role that parents can play in training children to survive on these dark mornings and evenings.”

THINK! offers the following tips for parents to help keep children safe and visible on the roads:
 
* Make sure you can be easily seen, especially at night, on dark days and in bad weather.
* Bright or fluorescent clothes show up best by day, even in dull or misty weather
* In the dark, reflective material is best and shows up in car headlights - remember fluorescent clothing doesn’t work after dark. You can put reflective tape on your coat or school bag to help you be seen by drivers.
* It is against the law to cycle at night without a white front light, a red back light and a red reflector at the back, so make sure that your bike is properly equipped and working.
* Cross the road at the safest place possible e.g. zebra, pelican and patrolled crossings. Remember to use the Green Cross Code: Stop, Look, Listen.
* If you’re out at night, choose routes that are well-lit by streetlights and cross the road at well-lit places.
* If there is no pavement and you have to walk on the road, always face the oncoming traffic - this is particularly important in poor light or in the dark.
* Find out about ‘walking buses’ where children walk in groups and are more visible by contacting your child’s school or your local council.
 

For more information on how children can stay safe on the roads Click HERE:, for a website full of interactive advice, games and competitions.

Report By THINK!  @Island Pulse.