HAMPSHIRE schoolchildren have been battling it out to find out who knows best when it comes to the rules of the road.

Around 50 schoolchildren from across Hampshire gathered at Winchester fire station to learn all about road safety giving their own show-and-tell demonstrations and taking part in simulated crash scenes.

The children worked their way up the leader board as they completed different tasks, including jigsaws, perception tests, and quizzes.

The main activity saw one nominated child from each school investigate a crash scene involving several of the fire officers. Their duty was to find out the cause of the accident and report back to their school team.

Station Manager Rob Dellow, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s lead for road safety, said: “We’ve got seven schools here within Hampshire and over the last 12 months they have done a lot of road safety-related events. They are already regional champions but this is about finding the best school in Hampshire. The kids have been up for a fair bit of competition, and it seems to really push their abilities.

“Most years this is aimed at years 5 and 6 but this year we opened it up to years 2,3 and 4 so they can learn about road safety early on so that when they come to take part in this in future they know what to expect. It’s a chance to test their road safety understating, observations skills and learn about the difference between crossings.”

Nola Stockley, 11, of Weeke Primary School, said: “It’s been really fun and educational. My favourite part was when we did the investigation outside. It’s important that you keep everything you’ve learnt in your heads and use it when crossing the road.”

This year’s winning school was Long Sutton Church of England Primary School in Hook.

Donna Smith, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s education adviser, said: "We have been running this event for three years now. It is always great fun and the children enjoy it. More importantly it's an exciting way of saying thank you to the junior road safety officers for all their hard work in educating their peers at school about the dangers on the road.”