South West children taking part in campaign to reduce speed limits
Children across the UK are taking part in Brake’s ‘Kids Walk’ campaign.
85,000 children across the UK are taking part in national road safety charity Brake’s Kids Walk campaign.
It’s in an attempt to get speed limits on routes where children walk to and from school reduced.
The charity 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 Road Safety Strategy.
It’s after data from the department for transport, which was analysed by the charity, revealed that 438 children aged between 4 and 11 were harmed on roads across the South West in 2023.
The highest number of child casualties in our region in 2023 occurred in Devon, which recorded 67 children killed or injured on roads.
The next highest numbers of child road casualties in the South West in 2023 were seen in Wiltshire, 65, and Gloucestershire, 62.
In Swindon we saw 23 primary aged children harmed on our roads.
Through their own research Brake found that 80% of parents would like roads near their home and children’s schools to have a speed limit of 20mph.
School children taking part in Brake’s Kids Walk will complete a short, supervised walk around their schools and/or communities.
They’ve been provided with banners and posters 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!”