FAMILIES in Blackburn with Darwen are being given tips to prevent accidents.

The borough council is offering advice this week to parents, and developing a long-term strategy. It is backing the first ‘Family Safety Week’, by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, to help avoid accidents, the UK’s biggest cause of preventable death.

Themes include:

  • looking around your home from an under-five’s view
  • developing older children’s water safety and swimming;
  • helping teenage and young adult learner drivers
  • ensuring adults are safer drivers
  • preventing falls.

Borough children’s centres are targeting keeping under-fives safe; swimming lessons are available at its three pools; and a ‘Falls Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme’ is available to over-65s.

Council health boss Mohammed Khan said: “Finding out about common causes of accidents, and simple steps to prevent them, could be the most important thing people do.”