Nice Parking! road safety - it's kids stuff!


	Hey now for some serious stuff. Take a look at these statistics:

FACT	The UK has one of the worst child pedestrian accident rates in Europe. Over 170 children are killed and 4,800 seriously injured on our roads every year while walking or cycling.
FACT	Most serious road accidents involving children walking and cycling happen close to home, on residential roads carrying only light traffic.
FACT	Children aged 12-15 are the most likely to be killed or seriously injured.
FACT	Boys are at much greater risk than girls when walking or cycling. When cycling, they are over four times more likely than girls to be killed or seriously injured.


FACT	Now here's another one - 18% of cars on the road in urban areas at the morning peak of ten minutes to nine is taking children to school.

	Ask your parents just how much the journey to school has changed since they were at school, - more traffic, longer journeys, more to carry, more pressure of time.

	But you may not be aware of the dramatic changes that have occurred just in the last ten years:

FACT	the proportion of journeys to school by car has nearly doubled, from 16% to 30% the average length of the journey to school for secondary pupils has gone up by well over a third
	The problem directly affects more than nine million young people in education in the United Kingdom and their families. Indirectly it touches everyone through its effects on health, education, local air quality and congestion. The causes are complex and inter-related, but include:

	rising car ownership a wider choice of schools local changes in where people live and pupil numbers inadequate bus services and high fares in some areas increased traffic and fears about road safety increased fears about personal safety children carrying more equipment and books to school parents under increasing pressure of time
	As a result, traffic and congestion is increased, and in many areas a vicious circle comes into being - fears about safety in traffic lead to less walking and cycling and more driving which in turn increases traffic. Local air quality, journey times and the competitiveness of local business all deteriorate.

	But the potential benefits of change are just as important. Surveys show there is unmet demand among young people for more independent travel and greater freedom. Freedom to move around the local area independently is an important part of growing up. Building exercise into the day improves fitness immediately and protects against coronary heart disease in the longer term. Independent travel to school is also a chance to help reduce local pollution and congestion, improving quality of life for everybody. Better local air quality is particularly beneficial for the growing number of people who suffer from asthma.

	Research shows that it is possible to encourage greater use of more sustainable forms of transport for school journeys even in areas of very high car ownership. One well-established way of tackling the problem is to develop safer routes for walking and cycling to school. There are many other things which can be done to reduce car use and improve safety on our roads, and many local projects are already putting them into practice, but we must all play our part in making it safer - for everybody.

	The Highway Code - The Highway Code is essential reading for everyone. Its rules apply to all road users: drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians as well as horse riders. Click the logo.	cycling rules coming soon
	Why not take a look at the Rules for Pedestrians and see how you can be safer while walking ....
	Now see if you can tell why the drivers in our galleries are breaking the Parking Rules of the Highway Code ....
	The Hedgehogs Road Safety Campaign - This campaign has been running since 1997. Aimed at 8-11 year olds, it uses all kinds of advertising to convey key messages of road safety. Click the hedgehog to visit the website and click here to download and install a screensaver. If it's not your computer - ask first! (takes about 5 minutes with a 56K connection).
	myschool.org.uk - Even though children are now more secure at school than ever before in history, we can still do more to minimise risks from accident or crime. The myschool network has links with all the emergency services in Dorset together with the main crime and safety bodies in this and other areas. Click the logo.
	FACTS supplied by the UK Department for Transport