Herefordshire Council is proud to be supporting Road Safety Week 2020, through a series of events.
Members of Herefordshire Council’s Road Safety team have been out and about at various local schools to deliver road safety messages to children, including practical pedestrian training to show children how to put the Green Cross Code into practice.
The team visited Marlbrook and Marden Primary schools as part of their year-round programme of educational visits, and were at Trinity Primary School yesterday (Thursday 19 November) to take the children out on a walk for pedestrian training.
The team are also introducing ‘parking pals’ to two Hereford schools. The childlike signs encourage drivers to park responsibly and drive considerately around school. These are part of a trial - schools and parents will be able to give feedback and if the scheme is successful, it will be rolled out to further schools in the county.
Cllr Ange Tyler, Cabinet member for Housing, regulatory services, and community safety, said: “As always, our teams are busy in Road Safety week teaching children how to stay safe, encouraging walking to school and promoting safe driving and parking. Covid-19 has changed the way parents and children think about getting to school safely. We have seen an increase in the number of children walking or cycling to school, which we fully encourage, alongside asking parents to put fluorescent strips on school bags and ensure children wear something bright when walking or cycling. Many parents are also now choosing to drive their child to school rather than using the bus or car sharing, which is contributing to increased traffic and parking in some areas.
“Speed and parked cars are a particular problem for children due to their size, lack of experience and inability to judge safe distances from approaching cars. So our main focus this year is on reminding pupils of how to stay safe when crossing roads. The Council has introduced varying road speeds within Hereford City to create safer streets and reduce the number of incidents on our roads.
“This week, our teams have spoken to over 330 children and 90 children have also taken part in two-day pedestrian training to reinforce the importance of using the Green Cross Code. It’s been a great effort and will help to improve safety on Herefordshire’s roads.”
For more information on road safety, please visit the Herefordshire Council website.
You can learn more about the national road safety charity, BRAKE, at roadsafetyweek.org.uk