Road Safety for School Children

15th October 2008 Considering the alarming local newspaper headlines regarding teenage road accidents - especially involving mopeds - over the past few weeks, I welcome the news that the local council, the Comune di Livorno, is continuing its efforts to educate Livornese school children about road safety.

Three separate campaigns are being launched by the local Polizia Municipale aimed at pre-school, primary and secondary school pupils. The campaign for pre-school and primary schools is entitled "A Spasso Sicuri in Città con la Polizia Municipale" (Safety Around Town with the Municipal Police).

The project aims to teach the younger children the rules of street behaviour through play, while the primary school children will learn about being safe pedestrians and cyclists.

The campaign entitled "Due Ruote in Sicurezza" (Safety on two wheels) is aimed at pupils from middle school to the first two years of senior school (Italian laws allow mopeds to be ridden from the age of 14). Particular emphasis will be given to informing these young students about the negative effects of alcohol and drug consumption, especially when related to driving and road safety.

In Italy there are approximately 8000 fatalities among young people in road accidents each year, while 170,000 young people are treated in hospital, and 600,000 treated in accident and emergency departments. In Livorno alone since 1st January 2008 there have been 7 fatal accidents, three of which involving two-wheeled vehicles. There have been 895 accidents with injuries, 422 of which involved two-wheeled vehicles.