Secondary school pupils in Aberdeenshire are being issued with torches to help youngsters stay safe while travelling to and from school.

All 15,500 pupils at the region's 17 secondary schools will receive the free credit card-sized flashcards to support Aberdeenshire Council's drive to improve road safety.

More than 12,500 Aberdeenshire pupils travel to school by bus every day, with many others being transported by car, walking or cycling.

More child pedestrians are killed or seriously injured in Scotland than in the rest of the UK per head of the population.

In September 2008, two young north-east school pupils were killed in separate incidents when they were hit by cars while crossing the road after getting off a school bus.

Bryony Chamberlain, Managing Director, Stagecoach Bluebird and Highlands, said: "The safety of our children is of paramount importance and the responsibility of every one of us. The risk of a child pedestrian being involved in an accident goes up when they start school and rises further when they move up to secondary school.

"We hope these pocket-sized torches will help reinforce the safety message to the thousands of secondary pupils who travel to school every day and give them something practical to be seen as we approach the darker winter months. Travelling by bus is an extremely safe way to get to school, but we can never take safety for granted."

Earlier this year, Aberdeenshire Council launched a Bus Stop safety campaign. Now Stagecoach is helping reinforce the safety message with the handy-sized torches which are small enough to be carried in a purse, wallet or pocket.