IT'S difficult to think of anything more devastating to a family than the death of a child.

And if that child is killed or maimed for life crossing the road, unimaginable grief must be heightened by the thought that the accident could perhaps have been avoided with more awareness of traffic dangers.

It has been proved that knowledge and training can reduce the number of child pedestrian casualties, and that's why Blackburn with Darwen Council is to use £90,000 from the government to help meet its aim of reducing annual child pedestrian casualties from 36 in 2001 to nine by 2004.

Money will pay for a co-ordinator to run a scheme in 11 selected schools teaching road safety skills at the kerbside as well as in the classroom.

The co-ordinator will also develop 'walking buses' where youngsters walk to school together in large groups along a marshalled route.

The unfortunate aspect of this pilot scheme is that it is only a pilot scheme.

Just as they are taught to read and write, children throughout the borough and throughout the rest of East Lancshire should all receive the benefit of this initiative.

Our roads are so busy and dangerous and many drivers are extremely unpredictable.

Basic and practical road safety training should be the right of every primary school child.