Nearly 200 children have been run over in the Burngreave ward over the past 10 years.
Traffic is one of the biggest causes of death and serious injury of children. It’s also one of the ways that children are most likely to be suddenly and violently bereaved; losing a brother, sister, parent or other close relative.
Statistics show that drivers who drive above speed limits, or too fast for the road and the people using it, are one of the biggest causes of deaths and injuries of kids. Slowing down is the single most important thing that drivers can do. The slower you drive, the more chance you have to react to the unexpected.
This Road Safety Week from 22nd November, as part of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, Sheffield Council’s Road Safety team is giving children a voice and is asking them how speeding traffic affects their lives; at home, school and play.
Their views are summed up by Natasha aged 7 from Owler Brook school who said, “It's hard to cross the road because there are too many cars on there going too fast.”
Niamh aged 10 from St Patrick’s echoed this saying: “I think that speeding is bad. I saw someone who had children with them crossing the road
a car came round the corner fast and
they could have got run over.”
We know that children can be scared of traffic in their communities and often describe traffic as fast and coming out of nowhere.
The Safer Roads Partnership show children how hand-held speed cameras work. Children will be learning how to cross the road safely and how it is particularly important at this time of year to wear or carry something bright or reflective when they’re out and about.
Children from several local schools have been writing poems about road safety. This one, written by a nine year old from Firs Hill Primary particularly relates to Road Safety Week:
Guess What
Did you hear about it? That boy who lived up your street He had an accident Got knocked over He nearly died He’s in hospital right now And it’s all my fault I didn’t mean to do it It was an accident.
Hit at 30mph, 45% of pedestrians die, but at hit at 20mph there is a 95% chance they will live.
Children’s overwhelming message is a simple one:
If we want to improve the safety and quality of life of kids using roads in our communities, we need to