A new Think! road safety campaign was launched today as the latest government research shows that children want to know why, as well as how, to stay safe on our roads.

Researchers spoke to more than 1,000 families about how parents talk to their children about road safety.

Their findings highlighted the importance of explaining the reasons behind road safety rules to children - rather than simply issuing instructions.

The new advertising campaign - called The Girl who didn't Dress Bright in the Dark - joins The Boy who didn't Stop, Look and Listen in the Tales of the Road series to explain to children the dangers they can face on the roads.

Jim Fitzpatrick, road safety minister, said: "Britain's roads are among the safest roads in the world but last year more than 9,000 young pedestrians were killed or hurt on our roads. This is not acceptable and we are determined to do more to keep children as safe as possible.

"The great thing about 'Tales of the Road' is that it brings serious messages to life with characters that children can relate to and engage with."

The adverts are a departure from previous campaigns using lifelike characters to show the consequences of different road safety behaviour.

The campaign is aimed at children aged 6-11 and was devised following research with parents and children, which showed that children demand a more forthright approach to road safety messages.

The Tales of the Road website can be found at http://talesoftheroad.direct.gov.uk/