Police officers are set to join forces with schoolchildren to ask the question “Are you driving safely this winter?”

Officers from D Shift will be visiting year 6 pupils at St Clements School on Tuesday to talk to them about road safety, as well as taking them outside the school to conduct a speed check.

Following a brief in-class talk about the importance of watching your speed, and having your car ready for bad weather a handful of pupils will be heading out, clipboards in hand, to observe a road check.

They will be looking out for cars exceeding the speed limits, as well as broken brake lights, how many people they see driving and using their mobile phone and how many are not wearing their seat belts.

Inspector James Wileman said: “Now the winter is starting to set in, with wet roads and poor visibility, it is an important time to keep an extra eye on our road safety.

“It is a simple job but could be the difference between a safe journey and one resulting in an accident.

“We are hoping that once the children see how important aspects such as working lights are they will go home and remind their parents to check their vehicles.

“This is an exercise not about prosecution but education and encouraging people to watch their speed in all areas, particularly close to the schools.”

The States of Jersey advise that you have your vehicle fully serviced before winter starts and have the anti-freeze tested.
If you can't have it serviced, then do your own checks. In particular, check:
• Lights are clean and working
• Battery is fully charged
• Windscreen, wiper blades and other windows are clean and the washer bottle filled with screen wash
• Tyre condition, tread depth and pressure (of all the tyres, including the spare)
• Brakes are working well
• Fluids are kept topped up, especially windscreen wash (to the correct concentration to prevent it freezing), anti-freeze and oil