An analysis of more than 600,000 road traffic collisions between 2017 and 2020 indicated that the chance of a child being involved in a collision decreased within 500 metres of a school. That is probably due to existing speed reduction measures and safety campaigns.
Unfortunately, children are at risk whenever and wherever they use our roads. This is confirmed by the most recent figures available for the UK (2022) for child casualties (0-15).
- 17 child pedestrians and 4 child cyclists killed
- 1401 child pedestrians and 325 child cyclists seriously injured
Encouraging children to walk and cycle not only helps children with their physical and mental health but also reduces congestion and pollution around the school gates. Sadly, the biggest concern of parents when it comes to children walking and cycling to school and elsewhere is traffic danger.
A 20mph speed limit outside the school won’t protect children for the whole journey as they walk or cycle from home, it would only protect them near the school. The evidence shows that children are at risk from the moment they leave home – regardless of where they are going.
Sources
Schools dataNational killed/injured