By Johnny Sharp 

The figures are alarming. According to the road safety charity Brake, more than six children or young people are killed or seriously injured on roads every day in the UK. Meanwhile, the eldest cohort among those under-18s is disproportionately involved in serious and fatal road accidents.   

This is one reason why Transport for London (TfL) has launched a new programme, TfL Navigators, which educates the 16-18 age group to become risk-aware, safe and considerate road users. Free to all secondary schools and colleges, the programme offers ready-made lessons including discussions, quizzes and case studies, focused on three modules: Drive Safe, Cycle Safe and Ride Safe.  

The risk factor 

For Stuart Reid, head of analysis and direction at TfL, the challenges are particularly acute in this area due to the nature of road users that are “on the cusp” between full-time education and the relative freedom of the adult world.  

“One factor is the way in which they travel and the modes that are available to them,” he says. “The highest numbers of casualties at the serious or fatal end of the spectrum are among people walking, cycling and riding motorcycles, which are more likely to be younger people. The second thing is the comparative lack of experience that young people have; these are people starting to travel independently but in an environment where they are perhaps not very experienced. One of the purposes of the Navigators program is to zero in on those people.” 

Reid also sees younger people as particularly vulnerable to a “culture on the UK’s roads where people take risks” with speed and risky behaviour. “And more often than not, people get away with it. So that can validate their sense that it’s OK, until one day it’s not. But by then, the accident has happened so there’s a challenge to influence behaviour.” 

Road safety for all ages 

As well as TfL Navigators, other projects are promoting similar safety messages to young people. Run by road safety charity Brake, Road Safety Week runs this year from 15 to 21 November, during which thousands of schools, nurseries, colleges and community groups will put on awareness-raising activities and social media publicity drives.  

Road Safety Week is just one part of what Brake do all year round in education, ranging from their Zebras website, which is aimed at younger children, with films and animations explaining issues such as ‘the science of speed’ and cycling safety, to content aimed at older children, discussing how automated and electric vehicles are changing our streets.  

Meanwhile, efforts are being made around the UK to make road safety awareness lessons and exercises a regular feature of the classroom. In Northern Ireland, the StayWise interactive safety lesson is already part of the schools curriculum, teaching safer pedestrian behaviour. North of the border, Road Safety Scotland offers ready-to-use education packs tailored to different age groups, from Ziggy and the Roadstars cartoon lessons for primary age children to Mechanimals’ video clips educating older teens on issues ranging from seatbelt use to avoiding distractions while on the move.  

And in Wales, virtual reality goggles are being used in simulators to teach young drivers, cyclists and pedestrians about hazard awareness as part of Operation Atal, aimed at reducing road casualties among teenage drivers, motorcyclists and cyclists. 

Get involved 

The use of technology is both a solution and part the problem, with distractions such as smartphone and headphone use proving to be a factor in 15% of accidents according to the RAC, and e-bikes and e-scooters offering road users the opportunity to travel faster around our roads. “A higher proportion of people on bicycles are using hire bikes,” Reid points out. “So they may be less experienced in controlling that particular vehicle.” 

Overall, Reid stresses the importance of the wider transport sector in helping to facilitate safety initiatives. “The involvement of the transport industry is absolutely essential, because no one agency or organisation controls all the levers in our highways system,” he says. “So we need to work with the boroughs and local authorities to look at how we implement safe street designs. We work with the freight industry on schemes such as the Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme (FORS) and Construction Logistics and Community Safety (CLOCS) to encourage safe practices, and we work with the government to demand the highest safety standards from vehicle manufacturers. There’s always a mosaic of partnerships.” 

• Book your place for the 19 November CIHT Masterclass on road safety here 

• To find out more about Road Safety Week 2026, click here 

• For more information about TfL Navigators click here