Pupils learn how to stay safe (From Penarth Times)

Pupils learn how to stay safe

HAVE you ever wondered who is responsible for ensuring your little ones arrive at school safely, and who teaches your children to stop, look and listen?

As next week sees the launch of Road Safety Wales, Barry and District News reporter Liz Ashton was curious to find out, so she spent the day with Vale of Glamorgan Council"s Road Safety Manager Mike Dacey, and met the people who carry out these vital jobs.

Our first stop was at Holton Road Primary School, one of the 14 schools in the Vale to participate in the Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme.

We met ten-year-old JRSOs Connah Selby and Daniel Saunders, who are responsible for highlighting road safety issues in and around the school.

The pair, and two other girls, were chosen as JRSOs at the end of last term after going through an application and interview process.

When carrying out their roles, the youngsters wear reflective jackets and caps, so other pupils can identify them and address them with any issues.

Connah explained: "We are here to make sure people are safe coming to and from school, and to check that they are crossing the road properly."

When the JRSOs are approached with a problem, they fill out an incident report sheet, and then contact the senior road safety officers at the council, who will attempt to rectify the situation.

Road safety officer John Rogers, who was visiting the school, said: "These youngsters are the eyes and ears of the school. I cannot be here everyday, so I rely on these to identify any issues and report back to us."

* More information about the JRSO scheme can be accessed by visiting www.jrsocymru.org.

Mike explained that these days, because more and more primary school children are being taken to and from school by car, they are missing out on the opportunity to learn the rules of the road.

So that is why Kerbcraft was introduced throughout several schools in the Vale.

The scheme, initiated in Glasgow ten years ago, aims to teach five to seven year olds how to cross the road safely and to be aware of traffic.

We met Jayne Jenkins, child pedestrian training coordinator ("the best in the country", Mike boasted), volunteer Mrs Plowright, and several youngsters, who were in the middle of a training session outside Oakfield Primary School.

The scheme, which Mike hopes will be adopted in all areas of the Vale, relies on help from volunteers, as well as the coordinator.

Mike has been working for the council"s road safety department since 1989.

He said: "I have loved every minute of it! I love the way I am making a difference, and at the end of the day I am helping to save lifes. I get a lot of job satisfaction, and there are no bad aspects at all."

Mike"s role includes dealing with complaints from the public.

"We actually don"t get many," he said, "but we can usually help."

Another aspect of his job is getting funding from various organisations to pay for the road safety projects around the Vale. Much of the funding, he explains is derived from the Welsh Assembly.

When we arrive at Cogan Primary, I noticed the road being dug up outside the school.

Mike explained that this is because the road is being transformed into a 20 mile an hour zone, with inclusion of speed cushions to slow down traffic.

These traffic calming measures are vital, as he quotes nine out of ten children will survive a collision if the car is going at 20mph, but nine out of ten will die if the vehicle is travelling at 30 to 40mph.

This will also benefit the residents living in the tight community of Cogan, he says.

"CYCLING has really changed over the years," said Mike. "It has become much more advanced."

A cycle path, which runs on Peterswell Road towards Evenlode Primary and Stanwell School is, according to Mike, the best cycle path in the area. And is very well used, he said, with schemes such as the "bike train" encouraging youngsters to cycle to school rather than go in the car.

The path was, until two years ago, a grassy verge, on which dogs used to foul and cars used to park. Now it is a safe route to school, with separate lanes for bicycles and a lane for pedestrians.

Our last stop was to meet school crossing patrol Joyce Wilson who was about to retire - after serving the children of Dinas Powys for nearly 30 years!

Out of the 42 patrols in the Vale, Joyce, 67, is the longest serving, and according to Mike, will be sorely missed.

Joyce said: "I started as a temp, and I didn"t even have a stick then! There were few cars on the road back then - the traffic is horrendous now. But the drivers are courteous and they do stop.

"It"s going to be strange not doing it anymore - I"ll really miss it. The head teacher of Dinas Powys Infants School, Mrs Thmas, has been fantastic - she treats us just like one of the staff even though we are employed by the council."