Junior Road Safety Officer (Scotland)

It encourages road safety peer education and promotes partnership working between pupils, parents, teachers, road safety officers and other professionals, including travel plan co-ordinators.

The JRSO scheme was launched across Scotland in 2002, although some areas had been working with various localised JRSO programmes since 1995.

Road Safety Scotland carried out a feasibility study into establishing a national scheme. Consultation was carried out with road safety officers, teachers and JRSOs, and it was agreed that the scheme would make a valuable contribution to road safety education.

The JRSO approach links to learning across the curriculum, encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their own learning and decision-making. It is an ethos of pupil empowerment and partnership working to enable children to become effective contributors, confident individuals, successful learners and responsible citizens.

Although schools may have their own methods of JRSO recruitment and management, the general premise is that primary schools are encouraged to appoint two JRSOs from Primary 6 or 7. When the JRSOs start their role they receive an induction from their local road safety officer.

JRSO responsibilities include putting up and maintaining a prominent notice board, running school competitions and giving class or assembly presentations.



JRSOs are supported on a regular basis by their JRSO co-coordinator – class teacher, classroom assistant or parent – and also by the local road safety officer.