In the last five years, around 250 children and young people aged 5-18 years old have been killed or seriously injured in crashes in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
To help young people develop the knowledge and skills needed to stay safe on the roads, the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) delivered educational sessions to more than 21,000 children and young people throughout the 2025/26 academic year.
On behalf of the SSRP, Staffordshire County Council’s Road Safety Education & Training Officers deliver presentations, workshops and practical training sessions to schools, colleges and other education settings across the county and city.
The education programme helps children and young people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to stay safe on the roads, with learning tailored to different ages and stages. The programme includes:
· Stepping Out, a child pedestrian training scheme can be delivered to children in Years 3 and 4 (aged 7-9). The scheme helps children develop their road safety skills in a safe, supervised way, including recognising hazards, stopping at kerbs and how to cross the road safely.
· Dedicated road safety sessions for pre-drivers, learner drivers and newly qualified drivers are offered to sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeship providers and training centres. These sessions help young people understand the factors that contribute to collisions, including speeding, distraction, impairment and peer pressure, while promoting responsible passenger behaviour, vehicle checks awareness and safer driving habits.
Staffordshire Police, Fire & Rescue and Crime Commissioner Ben Adams, who is chair of the SSRP, said: “Every road death and serious injury is one too many, and we know that young drivers are disproportionately represented in collisions on our roads. That’s why education is such an important part of our approach to preventing harm before it happens.
“By working together through the Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership, we are helping thousands of young people across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent understand the risks on our roads and stay safe.”
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience Anthony Screen and Vice Chair of the SSRP, said: “The road safety education team play a vital role in helping children and young people understand potential risks and develop safe habits that will stay with them throughout their lives.
“Learning how to use our roads safely is an essential life skill. By reaching children and young people at each stage of their development, we can give them the confidence to make safer choices whether they are walking, cycling, travelling as a passenger or beginning to drive.”
All schools, colleges and other education settings can be supported with road safety education. This takes different forms and can include access to digital materials, loaned resources and in some cases, visits by officers to deliver training and presentations.
The SSRP was set up in 2001 as a partnership between public sector organisations in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with the aim of reducing road casualties and making our roads safer. Find out more about the SSRP’s work at: www.staffssaferroads.co.uk