Safety aid

The object of Roadcraft 1 from Highlight Software is to guide Roger Roadcraft across a busy system of roads, but thank goodness it isn't another Frogger lookalike.

The intention is far more serious - that of introducing young children to road safety. The child using the program has to guide him using the cursor keys, and has to avoid various pitfalls which are the sort he might meet outside.

Equally, there are aids to safety available such as zebra crossings, pelican crossings and a very friendly policeman.

Poinis are awarded at the bottom of the screen but they soon become superfluous, the animated discussion of the children being far more relevant and important.

The program is quite well error trapped and has a few rather gruesome touches - the child who tries to cross from between parked cars freezes on the screen and the cursor keys become inoperative. This results in the child waiting for Roger to be struck down. wiih no possibility of him moving back onto the pavement.

Obviously this is a deliberate ploy, as is the fact that a child can ignore a crossing, as long as another safe place is selected.

Rather worrying however, is one liltle problem which the programmers perhaps didn't envisage. If a child halts while crossing the zebra - yes, I know they wouldn't, but children do silly things in real life - a car driving along will hit the child.

Phil Tayler