The winners In January the Road Safety and Travel Awareness Team at Leicestershire County Council asked schoolchildren to write a limerick to encourage road safety.
 | | Winning limericks read out live on air |
The competition was only open to Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs), and the opening line of the limerick had to be, "There once was a JRSO from..." The poem also had to include the name of the child's school. Now the winners of the competition have been announced, and they are Rudi Vizma, Shannon Barker, Dominic Shires and Brittany Merrick. As a prize, they visited BBC Radio Leicester and read out their winning limericks live on air. They also received road safety goody bags. The limericks Take a look at the winning limericks that will encourage children all over the county to be safe when crossing the road... A JRSO from Bringhurst
Was so busy he thought he might burst
He ran puzzles galore
Competitions and more
But remember, road safety comes first.
- By Rudi Vizma, JRSO at Bringhurst Primary School, Market Harborough There once was a JRSO from Burbage Infant School
Who set down some rules
Stop Look and Listen
Cross with a mission
Go when the green man shows.
- By Dominic Shires JRSO at Burbage Junior School There once was a JRSO from Burbage Infant School
Who thought road safety was cool
She taught the Green Cross Code
To help others cross the road
To learn the children at school
- By Brittany Merrick, JRSO at Burbage Infant School There once was a JRSO from Thorpe Acre
Who was promoting crossing the road safer
You should cross at the light
So you don’t get a fright
And walk all the way that’s much safer.
- By Shannon Barker, JRSO at Thorpe Acre Junior School, Loughborough JRSO scheme: The background Each year primary schools around the county participate in a programme designed to help young people learn more about road safety. | "The JRSOs are also encouraged to organise meetings, run competitions and maintain a notice board to promote road safety in their school." | |
Leicestershire County Council began the scheme 19 years ago, and now 164 schools take part. A primary school chooses two students in their final year (aged 10-11) to take on the role of JRSO, and they're responsible for teaching the other children in the school about how to keep themselves safe on the roads. Every month the county council's co-ordinator, Loraine Harris, sends the JRSOs a newsletter, with a message for them to read out in assembly on topics such as the Highway Code, cycling safely, and wearing reflective clothing. The JRSOs are also encouraged to organise meetings, run competitions and maintain a notice board to promote road safety in their school. As a reward for their hard work each term, Loraine holds a competition just for the county's JRSOs with a special prize.
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