The Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have launched a joint initiative to enhance pedestrian safety for children in the area this winter.

The partnership is providing 800 reflective safety kits for distribution to schoolchildren across Derry City and Strabane District. The campaign is a proactive step to reduce the risk of road traffic incidents during the darker months, when reduced daylight significantly affects visibility during the morning and evening school commutes. Local police officers will be responsible for distributing the kits to provide vital protection for young pedestrians and cyclists.

Keith Kerrigan, Chair of Derry and Strabane PCSP, stressed that the initiative is about taking proactive steps to keep children safe, calling the kits a "simple, but effective way to ensure our young people are visible". He encouraged parents and guardians to ensure their children use the kits every time they are out in low-light conditions.

Chief Inspector Graeme Craig echoed this, calling the initiative "fantastic" and "really practical," and urged parents to have conversations with their children about the importance of being seen by other road users.