Suffolk headteacher raises safety concerns as MP campaigns for improved school road measures
It follows a collision outside a school that left a 10 year old boy with serious injuries
Last updated 4th Feb 2026
A headteacher in Suffolk has spoken out about ongoing safety concerns for children crossing roads near schools, following an accident involving a pupil.
Mrs Samantha Ross, headteacher at Trimley St Martin Primary School, expressed her worries after 10-year-old Roman was hit by a van while crossing the road outside the school in February, suffering a fractured hip and bruising.
"It’s that every day moment – as soon as we open those doors, are those children going to get home safely," Mrs Ross said, sharing the concerns felt by staff daily.
In her two-decade tenure at the school, Mrs Ross said there have been multiple road safety issues, with Roman being the second child in 10 years to be involved in an accident outside the school.
Although measures like a '20 is plenty' zone and better signage have been established, Mrs Ross stressed the need for a zebra crossing to provide a safer passage for parents and children facing moving traffic and parked cars.
MP's campaign for improved road safety
Roman's accident caught the attention of Suffolk Coastal MP, Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, who invited the boy to hand-deliver a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, outlining the urgent need for safer crossing measures.
Directly addressing the letter during PMQs in November, the Prime Minister promised to involve ministers in working towards a safe crossing solution, although progress on this remains ongoing.
Committed to advancing road safety around schools, Ms Riddell-Carpenter proposed a 10-minute rule bill in November, aiming to make it legally mandatory for councils to assess and enhance safety where risks are evident.
She highlighted road safety as a national issue, rejecting the notion of schools being accidents waiting to happen.
"A tragedy is only waiting to happen if we don’t intervene, and it is within our gift to change this," Ms Riddell-Carpenter said, advocating the importance of addressing road safety as the leading cause of avoidable deaths among children under 19.
Her proposals are supported by 2020 data from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, which recorded approximately 1,200 children injured in traffic-related incidents within 500 metres of a school annually.
While it's unlikely her proposals will become law, Ms Riddell-Carpenter vows to persist in her campaign for safer roads, backed by parents eager to see change.
"It’s not just me, I’ve got an army of parents behind me who want to see these roads safer as well," she added.
Road safety improvements could involve additional traffic enforcement, clearer signage and dedicated school-crossing patrols, among other measures.