A new campaign targeting childrens road safety has been launched today on TV and online hoping to show both bad and good road safety behaviour.

It is hoped that a bolder more forthright approach will teach those particularly in the 6-11 year old group about the importance of road safety.

The campaign will use animated characters to visually show tales of incorrect road safety which ends in a road accident, and what the correct road safety should be to proceed safely.

It starts today with the tale of 'The Boy Who Did Not Stop, Look and Listen' showing a boy chasing his ball into the road and being involved in a pedestrian accident and breaking his leg. It then finishes by showing his friends crossing the road correctly and safely to play across the road.

Other topics that will be covered are cycling accidents, being seen by motorists particularly at night, childrens car seats and seat belt safety, with pages on the website targeting parents and teachers.

The new THINK! campaign announced by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick last week will cost £1.5 million and hopes are that it will reduce road accidents involving children in the UK to below the 9,000 incidents last year.

The ’Tales of the Road’ website can be visited at http://talesoftheroad.direct.gov.uk/.