Oxford News
Young pupils are taught vital road safety lessons by police
With little traffic about in those days, many parents were happy for their offspring to set off in the morning and return home in the afternoon, confident that they would be safe in the saddle.
However, it was sensible to make sure they knew how to ride, observed the rules of the road and that their bikes were in good condition.
READ MORE: TV chef to return to the Cotswolds
Many councils had road safety committees which would encourage children to take the National Cycling Proficiency Test.
Often police would get involved to promote the road safety message, as we see in these pictures.
The top picture was taken in 1977 at Cowley St Christopher First School in Temple Road, Oxford.
Under the headline, Take a tip from Pc Risby, the Oxford Mail reported: “The long – but friendly – arm of the law visited the school with road safety advice for the young pupils.
“Pc Frank Risby, whose nine-year-old son Elliot is a pupil, was invited to take part in the school’s ‘Safer on the Streets’ week.”
For five days, the children had been doing special road safety projects, drawing safety posters and carrying out traffic censuses to try to stop them becoming accident casualties.
The week ended with parents being invited to coffee and a talk on road safety with their children.
Headmaster Bernard Durbin said: “It has been a good effort and it is something new. It is a good way of getting the children to think about road safety.”
You can see some of the pupils looking on as Pc Risby inspects their project work.
Note the smart school uniforms, with ties!
The lower picture was taken in 1965 at Rose Hill Primary School ay The Oval, where pupils created their own model of potential road hazards, including pedestrian crossings, road junctions and traffic lights.
Oxford’s Deputy Chief Constable, Superintendent Leonard North, paid a visit to the school to see what pupils had done.
Patricia Buckle, nine, is seen in the centre pointing out some of the features to him.
All 250 pupils had contributed to the model.
The result was so good that it had been decided to display it at Oxford Town Hall in St Aldate’s as part of an exhibition organised by the city’s road safety organisation.
These were the days when Oxford had its own police force, based at St Aldate’s police station.
Thames Valley Police, incorporating the city and neighbouring forces, was formed in 1968.
OXFORD Mail Camera Club members have been taking photos of their dogs
Source link
The collision happened on the southbound carriageway between Junction 6 for Lewknor and Junction 5 for Watlington in the late morning on Saturday, August 29.
The emergency services attended the scene and closed the road,
National Highways said lanes two and three of the three-lane motorway were shut as a result while crews dealt with the incident, leading to delays of around 40 minutes.
Congestion was worsened by separate lane closures between Junctions 4 and 5 in both directions following damage to the central reservation from an earlier incident.
Traffic built up on approaches to the crash, with nearby areas including Stokenchurch and Lewknor also affected.
Images from traffic cameras showed long queues of vehicles and emergency workers at the scene throughout the afternoon.
AA Travel also reported that one lane was closed on the northbound carriageway between Handy Cross and Stokenchurch due to emergency repairs.
National Highways later confirmed that all southbound lanes between Junctions 6 and 5 had reopened and that the lane closures linked to the earlier incident were also being removed.
Despite the reopening, delays of around 40 minutes remained on the approach as traffic slowly returned to normal.
The closure affects the route between the A420 and Coxwell Road near Great Coxwell to allow for carriageway widening and the construction of a new signal-controlled junction.
The closure, in effect 24 hours a day, will begin on September 7, 2026, and is expected to remain in place until April 16, 2027.
An alternative route will be signposted via the A420, London Street, Coxwell Street, and Coxwell Road.
The order, issued by Oxfordshire County Council under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, will remain in force for up to 18 months if necessary.
Exemptions are included for emergency vehicles, and signage will be in place to advise drivers of the closure.
-
Oxford News3 weeks agoTrain cancellation alert amid ‘fault’ near London Paddington
-
Oxford News2 weeks agoMuseum evacuated and Oxford University closed amid incident
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoNuggit launches GBP £5 million fund for UK YouTubers
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoMuscle Food at risk of closing after entering administration
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoBritish Business Bank backs PhysicsX with USD $25 million
-
Business & Technology4 weeks agoHistoric town faces series of high street shop closures
-
Student Life4 weeks agoMy year of rest and rustication
-
Student Life4 weeks agoAcademic tourism: Oxford University and its summer schools