Keeping Kids Safe

A new app has launched to improve the road safety skills and knowledge of school children and parents in Fife.

Developed by Road Safety Scotland, it's targeted at eight to eleven year olds.

KLANG: The Road Home is aimed at encouraging positive learning and an understanding of road safety through gaming.

Transport Minister Derek McKay said: "In recent years we have seen real improvements in road safety but more can be done, that is why we aim to build on this by looking at new and innovative ways of educating our young people on how to stay safe.
 
"This app is a great way of delivering important road safety messages that will keep users engaged with the technology while linking to the curriculum, offering added benefits for pupils, teachers and parents alike."
 
Mairi Blair, Assistant Director at Road Safety Scotland, said: "Road Safety Scotland is delighted to launch its first learning app. In this rich digital age, it's important that opportunities for road safety learning are available to our children and young people in a way that engages them, both at home and in school."
 
The new game sees alien robot Klang crash land on earth from a nearby galaxy. To fix his ship and make his way home to planet Fendaar, he needs help to safely navigate our busy streets to find the missing parts - all the while avoiding discovery from rogue detection officers.
 
In Scotland, pedestrian accidents continue to be a serious problem, with 464 child pedestrian casualties in 2013 alone. Children aged 8 -11 are one of the most vulnerable groups with injuries commonly resulting from crossing the road close to home or school, as the capacity to make judgements regarding speed and distance are not yet fully developed.
 
The app fills the need for resources that reinforce road safety learnings with games and its development comes at a time when online behaviour among children and young people is growing and evolving. Around 12% of 8-11 year olds own a mobile device and over a third use it regularly.
 
Coupled with learning at home and in school, the app aims to enable more creative education, and open the door for conversations with parents and teachers about road safety.