Dr Brian Iddon MP supports Road Safety Week Campaign |
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6th November 2007 Dr Brian Iddon, MP for Bolton South East, is joining Road Safety Week calls by Brake, the road safety charity, for urgent action to stop child death and injury on foot and bike on North West roads. To mark Road Safety Week, a survey, published by Brake, the road safety charity reveals that: six in ten children (62%) in the North West feel plagued by fast traffic in their community; six in ten (61%) feel that even the roads around their schools are dangerous; and four in ten (41%) know someone who’s been knocked down. Their views are backed up by their teachers: six in ten (61%) said there were dangerous roads near their schools. The survey is released today as part of national Road Safety Week – co-ordinated by road safety charity Brake and supported by 3M, Direct Line and Green Flag Motoring Assistance. Government statistics uncovered by Brake reveal the appalling extent of deaths and injuries among the regions children on foot and bike. In 2006, 434 children aged under 16 were killed or seriously injured while walking or cycling on North West roads - that’s eight every week.[1] Across the UK, child road deaths rose sharply between 2005 and 2006, after falling steadily over the past decade. Child pedestrian deaths rose from 69 in 2005 to 75 in 2006, while child cyclist deaths rose from 23 to 31 and total child road deaths (on foot, bicycle and in vehicles) rose from 156 to 178 (a 14% increase) in the same period.[2] Brake believes these shocking figures should act as a wake up call for Government and that every child death on roads is one too many. Dr Iddon said, “Improving Road Safety has long been a campaign of mine, and although progress has been made in reducing child deaths on the roads, more need to be done to protect children. For example introducing more 20 mph zones around schools and improving road safety education in schools.” Cathy Keeler, head of campaigns at Brake, said “Fast traffic blights children’s lives and kills. In a civilised society it is a disgrace that we allow children to die on roads. Every death is horrific and devastating. TV campaigns and central government guidance to local authorities to introduce child safety measures are not enough. We need more Government investment in 20mph safety zones around schools and homes in all communities, comprehensive enforcement of these zones, and all drivers to understand that it is simply shameful to drive any faster in these areas. This will stop deaths and transform communities.” |
| Editors' notes |
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1. Department for Transport statistics (obtained by Brake in 2007) for pedestrian and cyclist casualties among under-16s in 2006. 2 Statistics from combining GB figures in Road Casualties Great Britain 2006 (Department for Transport, 2007) and figures obtained by Brake from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (2007) 3. Getting involved in Road Safety Week 07 Schools, companies, community groups and emergency services around the UK are getting involved in Road Safety Week 2007. With the use of resources, ideas and advice on www.roadsafetyweek.org, lifesaving lessons are being taught in classrooms, awareness-raising road shows and presentations are being delivered to young drivers and families, banners and educational materials are spreading life-saving messages on the streets, people are signing Brake’s petition for 20mph zones and the pledge to drive safely and concerned members of the public are calling the Zak the Zebra hotline to name and shame dangerous roads in their area. Call Brake to find out more about events. 4. Brake is calling for the following urgent Government action: * Brake wants the Government to stipulate 20mph zones around every school in the UK or, better, make 20mph the default limit in built-up areas. In the meantime, 20mph zones are at the discretion of local authorities. Communities can campaign for 20mph limits around their schools by lobbying their councils. * The Government put the spotlight on child road safety earlier this year when it published its Child Road Safety Strategy. The strategy calls on Local Authorities and the Highways Agency to ‘consider’ wider use of 20mph zones and traffic-calming measures in areas where children use roads and to carry out ‘child road safety audits’. However, Brake says the current guidelines for Local Authorities wanting to install 20mph zones continue to be too restrictive, and the Government doesn’t even monitor how many 20mph limits have been installed. Brake wants the Government to require all Local Authorities carry out child road safety audits in all communities and act upon their audits’ findings to introduce appropriate engineering measures including 20mph zones. * We need to see every child being taught about the dangers they face while walking and cycling, and what they can do to reduce their risk. This means making road safety a part of the national curriculum so that no child misses out on life-saving road safety lessons. * Other essential measures being called for by Brake include pavements, crossings and off-road cycle paths linking homes and amenities. * Brake is urging the Government to set challenging road casualty reduction targets for child deaths, as well as child deaths and serious injuries combined. 5. Brake Brake is an independent national road safety charity. Brake exists to stop the 9 deaths and 82 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake produces educational road safety literature, runs community training programmes and runs events including Road Safety Week (5 – 11 November 2007). Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum provides up-to-date fleet safety resources to fleet managers. BrakeCare, Brake’s support division, cares for road crash victims through a helpline and other services. 6. For further information about Road Safety Week please contact Brake on 01484 559909 7. For further information, please contact Brian Iddon's Westminster office on 0207 219 2096 |