Primary pupils have handed out warning letters to drivers who speed past their school.
Forfar-based police constable Scott Anderson said he hoped that enlisting the help of primary pupils to tell drivers to cut their speed would have more influence on their behaviour than penalty points.
He conducted the exercise with pupils at Glamis and Eassie primary schools on Friday.
He explained: “Rather than give a conditional offer to those who have been detected speeding, the pupils have handed the driver a letter asking them to adapt their speeds outside schools.
“I’d like to think this will have more of an impact. I think if you’re in a position where you’re being told off by children it has more of an effect than me standing at the side of the road giving the driver a lecture about their speed.”
Primary seven pupils at Glamis Primary School also helped to operate the handheld speed gun used to detect speeds though weren’t able to catch any speeders during the period the initiative ran.
However, at Eassie around half a dozen drivers were found to be over the limit within a 20 minute period.
The letter from the pupils gives information about stopping distances and notes that a child struck by a vehicle travelling at 40 miles an hour will almost certainly be killed while a child hit at 20 miles an hour would most likely survive.
Mr Anderson said that police had been approached by the schools to monitor the speeds outside their schools.
He said he had been aware of a force in England using the method of letters from children before as a way to spread the word in communities.
He added: “The reaction we had from the drivers has been very positive and the pupils have certainly enjoyed giving the driver the letter.
“Hopefully they’ll take on board what has been said today and adjust their speed outside schools.”
Scott Gordon, head teacher of Glamis and Eassie primary schools, said: “We’re very pleased to join Police Scotland in promoting the importance of road safety at and around our schools.
“I’m sure everyone will agree that we all want to do all we can to ensure our children travel to and from school safely, whether as a passenger or a pedestrian.
“When at or approaching schools, drivers should always reduce their speeds to below the recommended limit and take extra care as to what is going on around them.”
