Post by steg on Jun 5, 2008 10:00:07 GMT -1
Scottish children march to stop deaths on the road
In a bid to stop tragedies on roads in Scotland, 14,478 children from the region are marching for road safety this morning as part of the nationwide Record Breaking Buckle My Shoe Walking Bus organised by Brake, the road safety charity with the support of children’s shoe company Buckle My Shoe.
Figures released by the charity today show that a shameful 985 children on foot are killed or injured on roads in the region each year [1]. Children will be marching from school gates across the region at 10AM this morning calling for drivers to slow down to 20mph around their schools and communities to stop the deaths.
Journalists, photographers and camera crews are invited to a MEDIA LAUNCH AND PHOTOCALL at:
9.30AM, Wednesday 11 June 2008 at:
St Ninian’s Primary School, 2150 Great Western Road, Knightswood, Glasgow, G13 2AB
Children taking part in the march will be available for a photocall and interview before the walk starts at 10AM PROMPT. The march can also be televised and photographed.
Nationally, Brake is hoping to beat its own world record with more than 86,800 children taking to the streets across the UK, and then learning about road safety and the importance of walking in assemblies and lessons during the rest of the day. Children also have the opportunity to be sponsored by family and friends to take part in the event, raising valuable funds for Brake’s support services for bereaved families.
The Walking Bus initiative is at the heart of Brake’s Watch Out, There’s a Kid About! campaign, which is calling for the Government to reduce the urban default 30mph limit to 20mph, and to introduce more safe crossing places such as Pelican Crossings around schools. Hit at 20mph, children have a survival chance of 95% compared with 10% at 40mph. Brake is calling for drivers to voluntarily drop their speed to 20mph around schools and on residential roads and remember that there could be a child around every corner or parked car.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams OBE, said: “In so many communities parents are too scared to choose the green option and allow their children to walk to school, resulting in more congestion and danger on our roads through the ‘school run’. Children are innocent learners who make mistakes, and who deserve the opportunity to explore their communities on foot and learn essential road safety life skills, while protected by slow speeds and safe crossing places and pavements.”
At St Ninian’s Primary School in Knightswood, Glasgow, participating in Brake’s Walking Bus initiative will reinforce the lessons pupils learn through the school’s road safety campaigns, including poster competitions, safety walks and talks organised by Glasgow City Council. Senior pupils have also been completing cycling proficiency for the past 8-10 weeks.
St Ninian’s is located on Great Western Road. The road has two crash blackspots, although they are not right next to the school. Two children have been hurt on the road in the past three years. Glasgow City Council has introduced a ‘20 is plenty’ scheme but the school has requested further action, due to concerns that drivers are still driving too fast. Teachers and parents want more school crossing patrols outside the school and a speed camera on the school side of the road (there is already one on the opposite carriageway).
The Council has promised to provide extra signs and markings on the road within the next six months, but cannot provide extra school crossing patrols or another speed camera. It says that it already has two school crossing patrols in force on Great Western Road and claims that the number of casualties on the eastern carriageway is not high enough to justify installing a new camera.
Parents have also voiced concerns that buses from a First Glasgow bus terminus, which is located next to the school, often park on the zig-zag lines outside the school gates. The St Ninian’s Parent Council has spoken to First Bus and has also asked its local councillor to communicate their concerns.
Mary Mclachlan, Headteacher at St Ninian’s Primary School, said: “St Ninian’s has worked tirelessly this session to promote road safety. Pupils are warned of the dangers faced due to the school’s location on one of the busiest roads in Glasgow. We have asked for all parents’ cooperation in leaving zig-zag lines clear when visiting the school, and the school’s monthly newsletter reinforces this message.”
Paul Maher, a member of St Ninian’s Parent Council, said: “The terminus in front of the school is a huge concern to many parents. I am in regular discussion with First Glasgow and managers have acted quickly when we have reported individual incidents of bad parking. We have suggested they look into extending the route to take the terminus away from the school. We need to find a solution that benefits everyone and prioritises the safety of our kids.”
A spokesperson from First Glasgow said: "First in Glasgow have been contacted by St Ninian's Primary School with concerns about the terminal for First's Service 16. The terminal was moved to outside the school some time ago as a result of other traffic management measures in the area. At school start and finish times the area is congested with car drivers parking outside the school and on the zig-zag lines which reduces the area available for buses to stop. Despite investigating other options the Company has been unable to identify an alternative terminal point in the area. We will be working with both Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Glasgow City Council to address the concerns raised."
Chris Hargreaves, Sales director, Buckle My Shoe, said: “Everyone taking part is a credit to their school, as well as to road safety, and we wish them all every success in walking their way into the record books. At Buckle My Shoe, we are constantly searching for new ways in which we can support local communities and charities, so what better way to do this than combine the two and help keep children safe on our roads.
A horrifying number of children are injured on UK roads every day due to careless driving. We believe one of the best ways to tackle this is to educate children on how they can look after their own safety. By linking up with Brake, we hope to take important road safety messages into as many schools as possible.”
Shocking statistics
¨ 9 child pedestrians aged from 0 to 15 were killed, 237 were seriously injured and 739 suffered slight injuries in Scotland in 2006.
Statistics for 2006 provided by the Department for Transport 2007
¨ Traffic is the biggest ‘accidental’ killer of children in the UK. In 2006, 4,295 children on foot were killed or injured under the age of 16. That’s 42 child pedestrian deaths and injuries a week, 12 a day.
Statistics for 2006 provided by the Department for Transport 2007
¨ Children are more likely to die on foot in the UK than in most Western European countries. Figures published by the Department for Transport* puts the UK’s child pedestrian death rate (per population) as fifth worst in a list of 15 Western European countries**, three times higher than Norway and Sweden, and twice as high as France and Denmark.
(*The latest figures available are from 2005. **Figures for Italy and Luxembourg are not available.) Road Casualties in Great Britain 2006, Department for Transport 2007
¨ The proportion of primary school children walking to school has barely changed from the average in 1995-97 (52%) to 2006 (53%). However the number taken by car has steadily increased, from 30% in 1992-94, to 38% in 1995-97 to 41% in 2006.
National Travel Survey 2006, Department for Transport 2007
For interviews or media enquiries about the Record Breaking Walking Bus and the media launch, call Katie or Lauren at Brake on 01484 559909.
In a bid to stop tragedies on roads in Scotland, 14,478 children from the region are marching for road safety this morning as part of the nationwide Record Breaking Buckle My Shoe Walking Bus organised by Brake, the road safety charity with the support of children’s shoe company Buckle My Shoe.
Figures released by the charity today show that a shameful 985 children on foot are killed or injured on roads in the region each year [1]. Children will be marching from school gates across the region at 10AM this morning calling for drivers to slow down to 20mph around their schools and communities to stop the deaths.
Journalists, photographers and camera crews are invited to a MEDIA LAUNCH AND PHOTOCALL at:
9.30AM, Wednesday 11 June 2008 at:
St Ninian’s Primary School, 2150 Great Western Road, Knightswood, Glasgow, G13 2AB
Children taking part in the march will be available for a photocall and interview before the walk starts at 10AM PROMPT. The march can also be televised and photographed.
Nationally, Brake is hoping to beat its own world record with more than 86,800 children taking to the streets across the UK, and then learning about road safety and the importance of walking in assemblies and lessons during the rest of the day. Children also have the opportunity to be sponsored by family and friends to take part in the event, raising valuable funds for Brake’s support services for bereaved families.
The Walking Bus initiative is at the heart of Brake’s Watch Out, There’s a Kid About! campaign, which is calling for the Government to reduce the urban default 30mph limit to 20mph, and to introduce more safe crossing places such as Pelican Crossings around schools. Hit at 20mph, children have a survival chance of 95% compared with 10% at 40mph. Brake is calling for drivers to voluntarily drop their speed to 20mph around schools and on residential roads and remember that there could be a child around every corner or parked car.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams OBE, said: “In so many communities parents are too scared to choose the green option and allow their children to walk to school, resulting in more congestion and danger on our roads through the ‘school run’. Children are innocent learners who make mistakes, and who deserve the opportunity to explore their communities on foot and learn essential road safety life skills, while protected by slow speeds and safe crossing places and pavements.”
At St Ninian’s Primary School in Knightswood, Glasgow, participating in Brake’s Walking Bus initiative will reinforce the lessons pupils learn through the school’s road safety campaigns, including poster competitions, safety walks and talks organised by Glasgow City Council. Senior pupils have also been completing cycling proficiency for the past 8-10 weeks.
St Ninian’s is located on Great Western Road. The road has two crash blackspots, although they are not right next to the school. Two children have been hurt on the road in the past three years. Glasgow City Council has introduced a ‘20 is plenty’ scheme but the school has requested further action, due to concerns that drivers are still driving too fast. Teachers and parents want more school crossing patrols outside the school and a speed camera on the school side of the road (there is already one on the opposite carriageway).
The Council has promised to provide extra signs and markings on the road within the next six months, but cannot provide extra school crossing patrols or another speed camera. It says that it already has two school crossing patrols in force on Great Western Road and claims that the number of casualties on the eastern carriageway is not high enough to justify installing a new camera.
Parents have also voiced concerns that buses from a First Glasgow bus terminus, which is located next to the school, often park on the zig-zag lines outside the school gates. The St Ninian’s Parent Council has spoken to First Bus and has also asked its local councillor to communicate their concerns.
Mary Mclachlan, Headteacher at St Ninian’s Primary School, said: “St Ninian’s has worked tirelessly this session to promote road safety. Pupils are warned of the dangers faced due to the school’s location on one of the busiest roads in Glasgow. We have asked for all parents’ cooperation in leaving zig-zag lines clear when visiting the school, and the school’s monthly newsletter reinforces this message.”
Paul Maher, a member of St Ninian’s Parent Council, said: “The terminus in front of the school is a huge concern to many parents. I am in regular discussion with First Glasgow and managers have acted quickly when we have reported individual incidents of bad parking. We have suggested they look into extending the route to take the terminus away from the school. We need to find a solution that benefits everyone and prioritises the safety of our kids.”
A spokesperson from First Glasgow said: "First in Glasgow have been contacted by St Ninian's Primary School with concerns about the terminal for First's Service 16. The terminal was moved to outside the school some time ago as a result of other traffic management measures in the area. At school start and finish times the area is congested with car drivers parking outside the school and on the zig-zag lines which reduces the area available for buses to stop. Despite investigating other options the Company has been unable to identify an alternative terminal point in the area. We will be working with both Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) and Glasgow City Council to address the concerns raised."
Chris Hargreaves, Sales director, Buckle My Shoe, said: “Everyone taking part is a credit to their school, as well as to road safety, and we wish them all every success in walking their way into the record books. At Buckle My Shoe, we are constantly searching for new ways in which we can support local communities and charities, so what better way to do this than combine the two and help keep children safe on our roads.
A horrifying number of children are injured on UK roads every day due to careless driving. We believe one of the best ways to tackle this is to educate children on how they can look after their own safety. By linking up with Brake, we hope to take important road safety messages into as many schools as possible.”
Shocking statistics
¨ 9 child pedestrians aged from 0 to 15 were killed, 237 were seriously injured and 739 suffered slight injuries in Scotland in 2006.
Statistics for 2006 provided by the Department for Transport 2007
¨ Traffic is the biggest ‘accidental’ killer of children in the UK. In 2006, 4,295 children on foot were killed or injured under the age of 16. That’s 42 child pedestrian deaths and injuries a week, 12 a day.
Statistics for 2006 provided by the Department for Transport 2007
¨ Children are more likely to die on foot in the UK than in most Western European countries. Figures published by the Department for Transport* puts the UK’s child pedestrian death rate (per population) as fifth worst in a list of 15 Western European countries**, three times higher than Norway and Sweden, and twice as high as France and Denmark.
(*The latest figures available are from 2005. **Figures for Italy and Luxembourg are not available.) Road Casualties in Great Britain 2006, Department for Transport 2007
¨ The proportion of primary school children walking to school has barely changed from the average in 1995-97 (52%) to 2006 (53%). However the number taken by car has steadily increased, from 30% in 1992-94, to 38% in 1995-97 to 41% in 2006.
National Travel Survey 2006, Department for Transport 2007
For interviews or media enquiries about the Record Breaking Walking Bus and the media launch, call Katie or Lauren at Brake on 01484 559909.