23 November 2010

From Brake, the road safety charity, PO BOX 548, Huddersfield, HD1 2XZ
T: 01484 550068 Out of hours 07976 069159 email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

KIDS SAY SLOW DOWN:
Nine in ten children think drivers go too fast in their neighbourhood;
One in ten have already been knocked down
Finds survey of 15,531 children launched in Road Safety Week

Children across the UK are protesting that drivers go too fast in their community, putting young lives in danger. A national survey of 15,000 9-13 year-olds launched for Road Safety Week by the charity Brake and business insurance specialist QBE finds that almost nine in 10 children (86%) think drivers go too fast around their homes and schools.

Shockingly, one in 10 children (10%) say they have been knocked down while walking or cycling; a further 56% have had a near miss, and a further 16% have had a frightening experience.

Children around the UK, along with parents, schools and families bereaved by speeding drivers, will today be calling on drivers to slow down to 20mph or below around schools, homes and shops. At 20mph, you have a good chance of stopping in time if a child runs out three car lengths in front of you. Any faster than this, you would hit that child and have a significant chance of killing or maiming them. Click here for a diagram showing the relationship between higher speeds, stopping distances and the force of impact should you hit someone.

In 2009, 195 children under 18 were killed and 4,188 were seriously injured on UK roads – that’s 12 deaths and serious injuries every day. 59% of these deaths and serious injuries were children on foot and bicycle. [1] Although the UK has the second lowest road death rate in the EU, our child pedestrian death rate is worse than 10 other EU countries, and eight times higher than Sweden’s. [2]

Brake is calling on the Government to put in place a strategy and targets to continue bringing child deaths and serious injuries down – with a long term goal to reduce them to zero – and to make communities safer for families to walk and cycle without fear of fast traffic. Brake believes that lowering the default urban limit to 20mph and ensuring speed limits are enforced are key steps towards this. [3] Read Brake’s campaign agenda here.

More results from Brake and QBE’s survey of children:

• 88% of 9-11 year olds and 85% of 11-13 year-olds (86% overall) think drivers go too fast around their home and school
• 61% of 9-11 year olds and 67% of 11-13 year-olds (64% overall) think the roads around their home and school are dangerous for people on foot and bicycle
• 6% of 9-11 year-old kids and 13% of 11-13 year-olds (10% overall) say they have been hit by a vehicle when walking or cycling.
• 50% of 9-11 year-old kids and 61% of 11-13 year-olds (56% overall) say they have had a near-miss walking or cycling.

The full results – under embargo until 23 November – can be viewed on a restricted access web page.

The survey will be presented to Downing Street as part of the launch of Road Safety Week, which will also see protests at schools around the country with children and bereaved families appealing to drivers to slow down in their communities.

National media interested in attending a community protest, the presentation of the survey to Downing Street, and interviewing bereaved families and Brake, can call Brake on 01484 559909

Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake, says: “For a society that places so much importance on the safety and wellbeing of our children, it is shocking and unacceptable that so many children die and suffer appalling injuries on our roads. Many more children are prevented from having healthy, happy lifestyles because of the threat of fast traffic stopping them from getting out and about. One of the best ways we can protect our children is by slowing down to 20mph when driving in communities – this simple step means you have a good chance of being able to stop in time if a child runs out in front of you, and it helps to make our communities safer, greener and more family-friendly.”

Case studies

Road Safety Week is being backed by families across the country including:

Caroline Derrick from Kent, who is attending the national launch. Caroline’s niece, Hannah Hudson, 12, was knocked down and killed while she walked on the pavement metres from her house. Caroline said:  “I want to do everything I can to stop this happening to someone else’s family. For a child so young and so full of promise to be killed so violently and so out of the blue, is devastating. Her death was caused by someone who thoughtlessly drove at outrageous speeds, without a care for the families who live along that street. Now she is dead because of his actions. I want people to hear our story and stop and think about how they drive. If they speed, which a lot of people do, I want them to think again – it might save a life.”  Read Hannah’s story here.

Michelle Kirby from London, who is attending the national launch with her children Sonny, 6, and Stan, 8. Her nephew Tommy Kenny, 10, was killed when he was crossing a 30mph road. The driver was found to be doing 30-39mph. Michelle said: “I am supporting Road Safety Week because I believe that we desperately need to reduce limits on roads around schools and homes to 20mph. It isn’t right that we set limits to killer levels on roads that are shared by young pedestrians and cyclists. Please, please help us to avoid another dreadful loss and back the campaign.” Read Tommy’s story here.

Dionne Sheen from Manchester, whose 13 year-old daughter Amber Nell Bo Yee Lok was killed while crossing the 30mph road outside her home in 2005. Dionne says: “You never get over the loss of a child, but Amber’s death must not be in vain. The Government must act to make our roads safer for children and drivers must take responsibility for their actions. I am urging all drivers to slow down to 20mph around schools and homes, to help stop the intolerable death toll on our roads. Being in a hurry is no excuse for putting children’s lives in danger.” Read Amber’s story here.

Dr Nicholas Foreman, from London, who knocked down a child while driving at about 20mph earlier this year. The child was not badly hurt. Nicholas said: "It horrifies me to think that had I been driving a bit faster I could have killed that child or left him with terrible injuries. I think my case shows that if everyone drove at 20 or below in built up areas it would make a world of difference. I'm supporting Road Safety Week because I want the Government to cut the default urban limit to 20mph and I want drivers to slow down. One day it might be you who has to slam on the brakes when a child runs out in front of you - and your speed will determine whether that child will grow up fit and well, or has their life cut short." Read Nicholas’s story here.

Caroline, Michelle, Dionne and Nicholas are all available for interview. To arrange, contact: 01484 559909

Read more about the Road Safety Week ‘kids say slow down’ campaign:

• Read full results of the survey of 15,531 children (restricted access web page, under embargo)
• Read Brake’s factsheet on children’s safety on roads
• Read Brake’s ‘Kids say SLOW DOWN!’ campaign agenda
• Read Brake’s advice for drivers on slowing down   

Go to www.roadsafetyweek.org for other information about Road Safety Week including community and corporate participants, resources and sponsor info.

Road Safety Week is an annual event coordinated by Brake, with support from headline sponsor QBE, the Department for Transport and additional sponsor FedEx.

Notes to editors

Brake is an independent national charity. Brake exists to stop the six deaths and 70 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake produces educational literature, runs community education programmes and events including Road Safety Week (22-28 November 2010). Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum offers fleet safety resources and events to help companies ensure that people driving for work are doing so safely. Brake runs campaigns calling for measures that are shown by research to improve road safety. Brake’s care division supports road crash victims through a helpline and other services.

End notes

[1] Road Casualties Great Britain 2009, Department for Transport, 2010; and Annual Statistical Report 2009 No. 6 Reported Injury Road Traffic Collisions & Casualties, Police Service of Northern Ireland, 2010

[2] Road Casualties Great Britain 2009, Department for Transport, 2010

[3] A recent report by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine shows that 20mph zones are very effective at reducing casualties on the roads where they are placed and even on the surrounding roads. They found that the introduction of 20mph zones was associated with a 41.9% reduction in road casualties, and a 50.2% reduction in road casualties among 0-15 year-olds, after adjustment for underlying time trends. There is also a wealth of research showing that enforcement of speed limits through cameras is an extremely cost effective and successful way of improving compliance and reducing casualties.