Safety agenda
| Needs assessment | Intervention | Evaluation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| In car safety | 60% (range 27–68%) of children wear seat belts to and from eight primary schools | Interactive education to all primary schoolchildren: in car safety leaflet given to all parents | Seat belt wearing increased to 72% recounted three and six months later |
| Safety outside school | Public meeting identified parking problems outside schools: infringements identified outside eight schools on six occasions | “Parking here could cost a child its life” signs erected. Police advised on traffic control modification at school gates | Schools with traffic wardens showed improved parking; two schools revised vehicular access |
| Child pedestrian injuries | Parent questionnaire to assess the number of children walking to school; 95% of 6 year olds, 92% of 9 year olds were taken to school by adult or older sibling | No intervention warranted | |
| Fire safety in the home | 72% of 257 families had smoke alarms (79% of 168 control families) | Fire safety education to all primary schoolchildren: 158 smoke alarms sold by local retailer in low cost scheme | One year later 80% of 213 families had smoke alarms (matched responses) (86% of 168 controls) |
| Cycle safety | 87% 5 year olds own bicycle; 40% own helmets (26% of controls). 90% of Penarth 9–11 year olds own bicycles (100% of control); 55% own helmets (controls 45%); 75% wear them (controls 27%); 100% aware of danger (89%, controls) | Interactive cycle safety education to all primary schoolchildren. Safe cycle race and cycling proficiency rewarded | No significant increase in cycle helmet ownership/wearing or danger awareness |
| Home safety for those 5 and under | Home safety audit: safety provision for 89 (54%) of 8 month olds, 168 (90%) of 5 year olds in Penarth; for 81 8 month olds and 81 5 year olds in control area | Safety advice given to parents in Penarth by health visitor, but not to the control group: five workshops for socially deprived families in Penarth Family Centre | Reassessment of home safety provision one year later for 40 Penarth children and 55 controls. Significant improvement in medicine security, curly flexes, smoke alarms and window locks, bicycle helmets. Control group: significant improvement in cycle helmet ownership, no change for smoke alarms or window locks |
| Playground safety | All 19 playgrounds reviewed by local authority. Two playgrounds did not meet British safety standards criteria | Parents and children empowered to work with the council to redesign two playgrounds | All 19 playgrounds met British safety standards one year later |