BRAKE, the road safety charity, is calling on the Government to lower default speed limits on roads where children travel to and from school, as parents report that roads aren’t safe for their children to walk or wheel to school.

Today, Wednesday 11 June, Brake has sent a letter to Future Roads Minister Lillian Greenwood MP calling for the Government to commit to introducing 20mph as the default speed limit on roads in built-up and residential areas as part of its eagerly awaited Road Safety Strategy. With excess speed a factor in a quarter of fatal road crashes, the charity urges the Minister to prioritise measures that will make children’s journeys to and from school safer.

Brake research reveals parents support 20mph speed limits

According to new research published by Brake, 4/5 (80%) 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 the Government to do more to make roads safer in their community.

Of the 2,010 parents and carers of primary schoolchildren surveyed, more than half (55%) would like their children to walk or wheel to school more often, but many say they can’t because the roads are too busy (40%), traffic moves too fast (28%) and there are no suitable crossings (14%).

More than 85,000 children (aged 4–11) from more than 600 schools and youth groups, including 80 in the North West, are taking part in Brake's Kids Walk today, 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 6,069 children aged 4–11 were harmed on UK roads in 2023; of these, 28 children died and a further 1,077 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 2023, 2,299 children aged 4–11 were harmed while walking, 560 while cycling and 2,934 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 710 children aged 4–11 were harmed on North West roads in 2023, a 4% rise in child casualties since 2022. That includes three children who died and 158 who were seriously injured.

Across the region, the greatest number of child casualties in 2023 occurred in Lancashire, which recorded 155 children aged 4–11 harmed on roads. This includes 2 children who died.

The next highest numbers of child road casualties in the North West in 2023 were seen in Liverpool (75 including one child who died) and Cheshire West and Chester (43).

The 85,000 schoolchildren 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.

Luca 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 travelling, the harder it hits and the greater the impact. We have good evidence to show that by lowering the speed limits on our roads, we reduce the risk of people being harmed. In September 2023, the Welsh Government took a bold step in reducing the default speed limit on roads in built-up and residential areas to 20mph. Within the first year, collisions on these roads had reduced by 26%. Our research also shows us that people want 20mph speed limits around their homes and their children’s schools. Slow traffic means safer journeys for children. We must do everything we can to keep our children safe!”

Since the introduction of a default 20mph limit in Wales in September 2023, Brake’s Kids Walk sponsor, the insurance company esure Group, has seen a 20% drop in claims for car incidents in Wales. If the 20mph limit were to be extended across the UK, esure has estimated that this could result in an average £50 saving on the cost of insurance for drivers. As well as making roads safer for all road users, including people who walk and cycle, 20mph speed limits also provide a benefit to drivers through reduced insurance premiums at a time of economic pressures.

David McMillan, CEO of esure, said:- “As a motor insurer, we are passionate about supporting initiatives for safer roads and cleaner air. We’re proud to sponsor Brake’s Kids Walk for 2025, our 5th year supporting this event.”

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 clearly 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 their website. 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 organising walking events for schoolchildren at a national level for more than 16 years. Brake’s Kids Walk 2025 is sponsored by esure and Sheilas’ Wheels.