Look Up!

First News launched the annual Look Up! campaign in 2023 to encourage children to look up from their phones while crossing the road. Statistics show that there is a clear link between the use of mobile devices and serious road accidents involving children.

As children across the UK return to the classroom and many start to walk to school by themselves, First News, the UK’s leading newspaper for young people, is relaunching the annual First News Look Up! Campaign as part of its ongoing commitment to child safety for the month of September.

Research found that out of 3,000 road crossings by pupils, nearly a third were holding a phone or another device. In the UK, 4,913 pedestrians aged 15 and under were injured on roads in 2022 with 1,417 of them either killed or left with life-changing injuries. This equates to approximately four child pedestrians per day or a classroom-sized group of 28 children each week.

First News is calling on every school to participate in Look Up! month this September by hosting informative assemblies to address the critical issue of mobile phone-related accidents and promote road safety. These assemblies will provide invaluable insights and practical tips to students about the dangers of using smartphones while navigating roadways.

Resources for Schools

To facilitate these crucial Look Up! assemblies, First News has created a comprehensive assembly pack that is available to all schools free of charge. This pack includes informative materials and a video presentation to help educators deliver impactful messages about road safety and the dangers of mobile phone distractions.

2023 Poster Competition

During the 2023 campaign, First News encouraged classes to design Look Up! posters to put up around their school, to raise even more awareness of the dangers of not looking up.