It is the start of a new academic year and for some pupils a new beginning at the school. The school environment is a safe secure place for your children to attend but we as parents and guardians also have a responsibility to try and improve the accessibility of pupils arriving to school. Inconsiderate and dangerous parking is one of the biggest safety concerns from parents outside Primary Schools. Parked cars can hide children from passing drivers and stop children from being able to see approaching traffic. Almost half of the young children injured as pedestrians have had their view of the road blocked by a parked car.

 

How would you feel if your parking contributed towards a child being injured?

 

If you use a vehicle to drop off and pick up your child from school please consider parking further away from the entrance & exits in a safe legal place and walk the remainder of the journey.

 

Remember pupils need to see and be seen when crossing the roads so think seriously about the location of the school and neighbourhood and consider ways you can help as a parent/guardian to improve their road safety. You are the one who will be with them at the roadside every day. When you are out with your child you will have good opportunities to reinforce the road safety messages. Please think about telling your child about the importance of finding safer places to cross, stopping behind the kerb, looking, listening and thinking, holding their hands even if using a lollipop person or pedestrian facility. Making sure they have good visibility, taking their hoods down and no distractions with phones and iPods or friends when near roads. This will help your child to develop good road safety habits at an early age and also reinforcing your own safety awareness.

 

 Over the school year schools will be involved with Road Safety Education including

 

• Road Safety Week
• Walk to School Week
• Clean Air Day

 

REMEMBER

Think about the safety of other pupils who are pedestrians.