Children should learn basic first aid skills so that they can help save lives after road accidents, campaigners will say today.

The Red Cross will launch a series of workshops for youngsters to learn basic life-saving skills which they hope may prevent scores of deaths.

The Red Cross say that children aged nine to 13 face the highest risk of being killed or injured in accidents on the UK's roads.

But a survey found that six out of 10 youngsters would not know what to do at the scene of a crash.

Nearly 500 children are killed on UK roads every year, amounting to one seventh of all road deaths.

The Red Cross says the risk to a child rockets as they move from primary to secondary school, with an 11-year-old twice as likely as a 10-year old to die on the way to school. Half of all road accident deaths occur before rescue workers arrive at the scene.

The Red Cross campaign, launched in conjunction with a car company, is called Don't be a Bystander, and will last for three years. It is hoped that more than 100,000 children and their parents will learn essential life-saving first aid skillsat 150 free sessions being held across the country.

Of more than 1,100 children questioned, 53% had never learned first aid. Over eight in 10 admitted they did not wear a cycle helmet when riding their bike and 74% did not usually use a pedestrian crossing to cross the road.

Matt Overd, head of first aid service development at the British Red Cross, said:"This summer we want to encourage parents to make sure their children learn first aid and become aware of road safety."

The first aid sessions will be held at shopping centres, schools, town centres and on beaches and in parks.

More information on the sessions is available at redcross.org.uk/roadsafety.