Mersey Reporter - #Merseybites #News

BRAKE, the road safety charity, is calling for measures to end speeding traffic around all Schools in the UK, as parents report roads aren't safe for their children to walk or wheel to School.

According to new research published by Brake, 78% of parents and carers surveyed would like roads near their home and children's Schools to have a speed limit of 20mph. In addition, 85% of those surveyed said they would like to see Government doing more to make roads safer in their community.

Of the 2,000 parents and carers of Primary Schoolchildren surveyed, more than 69% would like their children to walk or wheel to School more often, but many say they can't because the roads are too busy (39%) and the traffic moves too fast (24%).

80,000 children (aged 4 to 11) from more than 720 Schools and youth groups are taking part in Brake's Kids Walk to shout out for their right to make safe and healthy journeys without fear or threat from traffic.

To coincide with the launch of the walk, Brake has highlighted the true extent of child casualties on the nation's roads.

Latest official figures show that 6,075 children aged:- 4 to 11 were harmed on UK roads in 2022; of these, 16 children died and a further 1,113 suffered serious injuries. This means that, on average, more than 16 Primary Schoolchildren are harmed on our roads every single day; that's equivalent to a whole classroom of children every 2 days.

The data also shows that in 2022, 2,457 children aged:- 4 to 11 were harmed while walking, 484 while cycling and 2,859 children while travelling by car.

Brake has also highlighted the true extent of child casualties on the region's roads.

Latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that 680 children aged:- 4 to 11 were harmed on North West roads in 2022. That includes one child who died and 165 who received serious injuries. Across the Region, the greatest number of child casualties in 2022 occurred in Lancashire excluding:- Blackburn and Blackpool, which recorded 149 children aged:- 4 to 11 harmed on roads.

The next highest numbers of child road casualties in the North West in 2022 were seen in Liverpool (63) and Cumbria (57).

The 80,000 School children taking part in Brake's Kids Walk will complete a short, supervised walk around their Schools and / or communities. They will carry banners and posters, provided by Brake, to help raise awareness of the five things they need to help keep them safe near roads: slower traffic, cleaner traffic, better footpaths, better cycle paths, and safe places to cross.

Lucy Straker, campaigns manager at Brake, said:- "We all want children to be able to travel to and from School safely. But sadly, every day, more than 16 Primary Schoolchildren are harmed on our roads. We know that excess speed is a factor in about a quarter of fatal crashes, and the physics is pretty straightforward: the faster a vehicle is traveling, the harder it hits and the greater the impact. Evidence shows us that by lowering the speed limits and reducing the number of vehicles on our roads, we also reduce the risk of people being harmed. This new research from Brake also shows us that people want 20mph speed limits around their homes and their children's Schools. So, we call on the future leaders of our country to prioritize safety on roads across our communities, by implementing 20mph as the default speed limit on roads in residential and built-up areas. We must keep our children safe!"

In Wales, 20mph speed limits became the default for roads in built-up areas in September 2023. Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates, said:- "We're proud of our track record on supporting safe routes to and from School. Lower speeds means safer streets for families to walk and cycle."

David McMillan, CEO of esure, said:- "We are delighted to continue our partnership with Brake's Kids Walk for the 4th year running and to raise awareness of the importance of safer roads and cleaner air for Schoolchildren across the UK."

Schools taking part in Brake's Kids Walk can run special road safety themed assemblies, lessons, and fun activities, using free resources from Brake. Brake has also provided Schools with a Kid's manifesto for safe and healthy journeys that they can use to help them ask local or national decision-makers to make roads around their School safer and free from speeding traffic; Brake's research supports this call, with many parents worried about the speed of traffic near their children's School.

Resources are available to any parent, carer or teacher to download for free at:- https://www.Brake.Org.UK/KidsWalk. The event can also be used to fundraise for Brake, to support the charity's vital work caring for thousands of families every year who have been bereaved by road crashes.

Brake, the road safety charity, has been organizing walking events for Schoolchildren at a national level for more than 15 years. Brake's Kids Walk 2024 is sponsored by esure and Sheilas' Wheels.