by Martin Jefferies
mjefferies@thekmgroup.co.uk

A Margate driving instructor hopes to slam the brakes on the soaring number of children killed or injured on Britain’s roads by launching unique safety workshops for local youngsters.
John Mills plans to visit primary schools in Thanet and put pupils through the same hazard perception practice that learner drivers must also get to grips with.
He came up with the idea after shocking statistics from the road safety charity Brake revealed that a child is killed or hurt every 21 minutes on the country’s roads.
Mr Mills, who runs his own driving school, Mills on Wheels, said: “I have three children of my own, all under the age of 11, and after reading that Thanet has some of the highest number of pedestrian casualties in Kent, I decided to teach them some basic road safety skills.
“So I sat them behind the wheel of a car to give them hands-on experience from a driver’s perspective.”
Mr Mills’ workshops use computer software supplied by Focus Multimedia, which he says helps increase children’s awareness of the dangers of crossing the road.
He says it also lets them appreciate how drivers can sometimes fail to see youngsters crossing the road, particularly around parked vehicles.
The workshops, which Mr Mills hope will be used alongside programmes like the Safer Cycling Training Scheme, have already been tested by Year 6 pupils at Dame Janet Community Junior School in Ramsgate.
Jo Brand, deputy head teacher at the school, said: “Some of our pupils had good hazard awareness but an alarming number had limited skills of the dangers on our roads.
“The children really enjoyed the workshop and found the activities fun. The programme is a valuable resource for schools like ours.”
Each workshop takes around 90 minutes and costs £2.50 per pupil.
For more information about the scheme, telephone Mr Mills on 01843 220694 or emailjohn@lckp.fsnet.co.uk.