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Road Safety Education - About Us


The Road Safety Education Officer (RSEO) Service is part of Road Safety Division within the Department of the Environment DOE) and its prime focus is the delivery of road safety education to children and young people.
The Road Safety Education Officer Service was established in 1973 and there are currently 17 RSEOs. The Service is headed by a Manager based at Headquarters in Belfast, with responsibility for staff in 5 offices throughout Northern Ireland. Each local office is administered by a Senior Road Safety Education Officer, responsible for three RSEOs and one administrative assistant.
The education of children and young people is of vital importance in establishing responsible attitudes and behaviours in road users from an early age. DOE’s RSEOs provide support and road safety teaching materials and resources to over 1,800 schools, pre-schools playgroups and colleges each year and teacher training is also provided where necessary. Each year, DOE produces a Road Safety Teaching Aid Calendar which is the main road safety teaching resource used in primary schools. The Calendar has three versions covering early, middle and upper years and features a cartoon cat, Skooter. Every classroom in every primary and nursery school is provided with a copy of the Calendar.  
Schools are encouraged to adopt and implement a formal road safety policy, to appoint a road safety co-ordinator and to teach road safety on a regular basis, preferably as part of the curriculum. DOE also provide support to schools for cyclist training by way of teacher training and teaching materials and its RSEOs monitor the number of pupils taking the cycling proficiency test and the standard attained by those passing. Among other road safety initiatives promoted in schools are Practical Child Pedestrian Safety Training, GCSE Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies, Road Traffic Studies and the Driver Training Scheme.

Mission Statement

To contribute to a reduction in the number of killed and seriously injured on Northern Ireland’s roads by increasing the road safety knowledge, skills and understanding of road users – with particular emphasis on children – through education, training and publicity.

Aims

The aims of the Road Safety Education Officer (RSEO) Service are to contribute to the casualty reduction targets in the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy by:
  • providing a road safety education and training programme for schools in accordance with the Department for Transport (Great Britain) Road Safety in Schools Good Practice Guidelines;
  • delivering a resource-led approach to road safety education in schools in line with the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Education in Schools Good Practice Guidelines;
  • maintaining contact with schools through a programme of visits and provide training and support to teachers as appropriate with a view to having road safety taught on a regular structured basis;
  • taking advantage of PR opportunities throughout the year to promote the road safety message, the work of the RSEO Service and the Department;

Key Purpose

To implement the action measures in the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy 2002 – 2012 relating to road safety education for children.

Key Responsibilities

  • Deliver a road safety education programme in nursery, primary and post-primary schools in line with Department for Transport (GB) Road Safety Education in Schools Good Practice Guidelines.
  • Promote and support the development of Road Safety Policies in all schools.
  • Produce an Annual Requisition List of road safety teaching materials and resources provided to nursery, primary and post-primary schools.
  • Produce three Road Safety Teaching Aid Calendars for issue to nursery and primary schools by mid-September.
  • Deliver and support the Cycling Proficiency Scheme in Primary Schools and seek to increase the number of schools participating.
  • Encourage the uptake of the Walking Bus initiative in primary schools.
  • Deliver Practical Child Pedestrian Safety Training in 75 schools, mainly in socially disadvantaged areas.
  • Encourage more post-primary schools to timetable Road Traffic Studies.
  • Encourage more post-primary schools to offer GCSE Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies.
  • Provide the Driver Training Scheme to students aged 17 – 19 years of age in post-primary schools and further education colleges.
  • Provide advice on the fitting of child safety seats and restraints.
  • Participate in agreed events requiring road safety input.