A campaign has been launched to increase awareness of safety issues among schoolchildren in an attempt to lower death and injury rates from accidents involving young people.
The Think Safety Firstsecondary schools campaign was launched by National Parents Council Post Primary section (NPCPP) with FBD Trust Insurance.
The campaign, supported by the National Safety Council and the Health and Safety Authority, begins on March 1st and will see safety information packs including brochures and reflective armbands being sent to every school in the country.
Figures from the National Roads Authority show that nearly 20 per cent of all roads deaths happen to children under 18.
More alarmingly, the same figures indicate that almost half of all deaths and injuries happen to road users between the ages of 18-35, highlighting the need for increased awareness of causes of collisions, and preventative measures among young people.
"Parents throughout Ireland are concerned by what many perceive as an
increasingly dangerous environment that our children are growing up in," the President of the post-primary section of the National Parents Council (NPCPP) Ms Eleanor Petrie said.
The campaign is bringing "important messages of safety awareness directly to those that need it most," added the chairman of the National Safety Council, Mr Eddie Shaw.
A "Safety Awareness" competition with prizes for schools and pupils of up to EUR 1,500 will be in place for the best in the category of "Safety Initiatives in Society".