PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN in Mayo will be given tattoos in playschool to remind their parents to belt them up in their cars as part of a new road safety initiative.
The county council’s road safety officer Noel Gibbons said that children, especially those under five, cannot be responsible for keeping themselves safe.
“Children from local preschools and childcare centres are learning about the importance of seatbelt wearing and road safety over the coming weeks and they will go home wearing tattoos reminding parents to buckle them up safely before they set off on their journey,” he explained. “Teachers will speak to children in childcare centres in the coming weeks to help reinforce messages about the importance of seatbelt wearing, holding hands with adults and using the safety door to enter and exit vehicles.”
Without a safety belt three out of four people would be killed or seriously injured in a 50km head on collision. The latest figures from the Road Safety Authority showed that the number of children killed on Irish roads so far this year has already doubled.
The council said that although the tattoos are temporary, they are a visual reminder to parents to always ensure children travel safely.
The road safety campaign “Belt Up Every Time” has the support of the local gardaí who will concentrate on failure by occupant to wear their belts over the next few weeks. “These are precious young lives and drivers are putting those lives at great risk by not ensuring they are buckled up every time,” the council said.
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