Most drivers ready to Brake for safety of children at 20 mph Sep 5 2005


A new campaign to introduce 20mph speed limits outside West Midland schools launches today.

As schools open for the new term, a survey by road safety charity Brake has revealed that an overwhelming majority of drivers - nearly nine in ten (89 per cent) - would support the special speed limit outside schools to protect children on foot or their bike.

Brake, children's charity NCH and the Children's Play Council are all calling on local authorities and the Government to introduce the 20mph zones in the West Midlands, as well as the rest of the UK.

Latest figures released by the Government show that every 30 minutes a child is hurt or killed while walking or cycling on UK roads.

Pedestrian and cyclist casualties peak in the early morning - between 8am and 9am - and then again in the afternoon between 3pm and 6pm.

A spokeswoman for Brake said: "Introducing 20mph zones outside schools can make the difference between life and death.

"Hit at 20mph, a child has a 95 per cent chance of survival, compared with a 55 per cent chance if hit at 30mph, and a 15 per cent chance at 40mph."

The charities claim the Government has repeatedly declined appeals from road safety campaigners to prioritise the safety of children by introducing 20mph zones outside all schools.

However, the Scottish Executive has provided funding to all local authorities for part-time 20mph zones around all schools and by the end of 2004, 845 zones were in place.

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of Brake, said: "It's a tragedy that our children are being put at risk right outside their own schools and that many parents are afraid to let their children walk or cycle to school because it's too dangerous.

"This has all sorts of implications on children's health and the environment as we see increasing levels of traffic on the school run.

" The Government repeatedly puts traffic flow before the safety of children and communities - yet this survey shows that drivers almost unanimously support 20mph zones around schools to protect our children from potentially lethal fastmoving traffic."

I aggree, but its no good sticking a sign with 20 in a red circle (giving an order) if theres no one there to police it. I say put road engineering into practice where you are physically forced to slow, not a camera that says you exceeding the limit AFTER hitting a child. I dont care much for statistics they are just a debating point, but just 1 child killed or injured outside a place of education ( where they come and go several times a day without any care for whats going on around them apart form friends and child socialisisng) is in todays (lets get the motorist, they have money) unacceptable. Schools are open at least 5 days a week but seldom at night, so lets not penalise the motorist 24/7 with Scameras

Seems like a good idea to me Billy. Put PROPER traffic calming measures in place outside ALL schools. Make the motorist slow down to an appropriate speed which is 20 or less where there are children.

Haven't 20mph zones turned out to be even more dangerous than 30's?

 

Because kids take even less care on the roads.

 

Isn't it about time these charities did something useful?

 

Like teaching kids the Green Cross Code and the pedestrian section of the Highway Code .

 

That would practically eliminate child casualties.

 

Unlike modern so-called road "safety" policies.

 

Which seem to be designed to eliminate the kids instead!

 

 

And where, exactly, does it say:

"89% want a 20mph speed limit outside schools" ?

 

Oh, and you've already covered this here:

Calls to reduce traffic speeds near schools

 

Could you at least try to read your own posts?

 

THE GOVERMENT HAVE ALREADY MADE IT JUST ABOUT IMPOSIBLE TO SPEED I NOW PAY £1.00 PER LTR IM ON A ECONOMY DRIVE 20 MPH ALL THE WAY

Looks like the Government are at least getting something right then.

The traffic calming & 20mph zone outside my kids school (totally residential area) works, the traffic that used to fly past at 40ish now slows down to a more suitable 25-30ish.

The only time they drive slower is when the kids are arriving/leaving because half of the dozy/lazy/F*cking stupid parents park all over the zig-zag markings, school enterance & double yellow lines for miles around. This makes it impossible to get anything other than a bycycle past above walking pace so at least when children are trying to cross inbetween parked cars full of w*ankers without a brain cell they only get hit a little bit.

You can teach children as much as you like to cross the road safely but they can't because the anti speed lobby who grumble about speeding drivers are parking their chelsea tractors (just to make it even harder to see) on the dedicated crossing point.

My Point? When you speak to the parking services they tell you its not their job, they only deal with the parking zones in the town and will only ticket a car that they can make a few quid out of. Speak to the traffic wardens & they fob you off with a lot of old toot. Ask a policeman you say? we tried that and they sent a single copper round once last year who asked nicely for the nobbers to move and who has never been seen again.

Funny that I always though Chelsea tractors were driven by the pro-road lobby who frequent this site and Safe Speeds, HJ forum etc......

Most speed kill supporters ride bicycles, read the Guardian and have names like George, Freda, Georgeda, Jim, Robert, Drew, Dave Bennell, Dear old Aggie, Bill...........

Funny that I always though Chelsea tractors were driven by the pro-road lobby who frequent this site and Safe Speeds, HJ forum etc......

Just shows how wrong you can be, doesn't it.

Yet again.

Most speed kill supporters ride bicycles, read the Guardian and have names like George, Freda, Georgeda, Jim, Robert, Drew, Dave Bennell, Dear old Aggie, Bill...........

And can't drive.

And don't have a clue about road safety.

And, in fact, as they keep complaining about how many accidents they've had:

Obviously can't cycle either.

 

Whereas you will find that as well as often being advanced drivers:

Many of the anti-sCam campaigners are also serious (and safe, accident-free) cyclists.

 

 

Funny how very different people can have such different views.

Do I take it you're 99% wrong?

Not funny at all.

My views are 99% fact.

Yours 99% opinion.

So tragic, rather than funny, really.