A growing issue
There are more vehicles on the road now than ever before, with large numbers of children being driven to school every day. The road environment near many schools in Plymouth can feel busy and unsafe, especially at the start and end of the school day.
Reducing the number of vehicles near the school gates can help:
- pedestrians see and be seen better by traffic when crossing the road
- reduce the risks of road traffic collisions involving child pedestrians and cyclists
- reduce the exhaust fume levels and improve the air quality
- encourage more children and parents to walk, scoot or cycle to school
Parents and carers: key messages
If you usually drive your children to school, consider:
- walking rather than driving, if you live within a 400 to 800m walking distance from the school. You can find your children’s school’s walking map to help you plan your new route.
- parking further away from the school gate and walking the rest of the journey, if you live too far away and need to drive. Look for places where you can park for free, legally and safely, like on the next street. You can check whether your school is located in one of the controlled parking zones by using this interactive map.
- replacing at least one car journey each week with a greener option or organising a carpool with other local parents
Everyone’s combined effort can make a real difference!
Road safety advice
Walking or scooting to school
When walking or scooting to school:
- cross at the school crossing patrol site if there is one near your school
- teach the Green Cross Code to your children and use it on every walking journey.
As a parent, you are their role model, so always set a good example. Tales of the Road is a child-friendly highway code. It includes the Green Cross Code as well as other essential rules of the road
If your children are going to travel to school on their own, you can use your school’s walking map to plan and then practise with them the safest route to school.
If scooting to school, remind your children to always give way to pedestrians while on the pavement. You can find additional safety scooting tips on the CBeebies website.
Encourage your children to:
- be extra visible by wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing or accessories, especially in autumn and winter
- not look at their phones and/or wear headphones when crossing the road
There are more electric cars and bikes using the road than ever before. They are very quiet and hard to hear coming.
Cycling to school
Cycling is great for children’s physical and mental health, but it is important that they know how to cycle safely.
We recommend:
- that children under ten years old do not cycle on their own to school
- that they complete the Bikeability Level 2 training before cycling on the road so that they have the skills necessary to do it safely. It is a parent’s decision whether to allow them to cycle on the road.
Check that:
- the bike is safe to ride (regularly conduct the Air, Brake, Chain (ABC) check for example)
- reflectors and lights are fitted to the bike
- your children wear a cycle helmet appropriately
- your children wear appropriate clothing (including some bright and reflective elements especially at night)
Taking the public bus
Taking the bus can be a quicker way to get to and from school for some children.
Check:
- whether there is a bus route from your house to the school, and if there is, where the closest bus stops are
- the bus times with your children
Remind them:
- to stand away from the edge of the road while waiting for a bus
- to always stay seated on the bus
When getting off a bus, they should never cross the road directly behind or in front of it. They should instead wait until it has moved off and they can see the road clearly in both directions before crossing.
Safer Journeys to School campaign
If there are any concerns with ongoing road safety issues near your school’s entrances or roads, the school can choose to run a campaign called Safer Journeys to School.
The aim of the campaign is to increase the number of school parents that:
- drive less to school and choose more sustainable ways to travel
- park further away from the school gate
- park safely, legally and more considerately
Our road safety team will support the schools setting up and running the campaign by:
- providing a campaign brief and a suggested campaign calendar
- lending campaign resources
- liaising with the local police, local councillors and the civil enforcement team
- delivering a whole-school assembly before the start of the campaign
The campaign resources include:
- large outdoor banners with various safety messages
- ‘parking buddies’, which are metal cut-outs of children characters holding various safety messages. These buddies are safely placed at the kerbside where drivers should not stop or park such as:
- school keep clear markings
- double yellow lines
- campaign leaflets
- traffic observation sheets
To create a greater impact, the schools are encouraged to arrange for a group of pupils who, with the help of staff members, count the number of vehicles either parked illegally, inconsiderably or doing some unsafe manoeuvres at the start, middle and end of the campaign to measure the impact of the campaign on drivers.
The campaign was first launched at Holy Cross Catholic Primary School in May 2022. Since then, other schools including Leigham Primary School, Goosewell Primary Academy, Tor Bridge Primary School and Prince Rock Primary School have run successful campaigns.
If your school is interested in running the Safer Journeys to School campaign email: [email protected]