06 April 2011

From: Brake, the road safety charity, PO BOX 548, Huddersfield, HD1 2XZ

Tel: 01484 559909 Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Zak the Zebra, mascot of national road safety charity Brake, is visiting Witham St Hughs in Lincoln to back a campaign to make roads safer for children and local residents.  Zak the Zebra will be showing his support to local parent Justine Willis and the community of Witham St Hughs, who have organised a protest on 6th April to call for a school crossing to be installed on Warren Lane and a 20mph limit.  

Parents and teachers of Witham St Hughs Primary School live in constant fear that a child could be injured or killed.  Warren Lane is a busy road with a 30mph speed limit, which carries heavy traffic through the village. Due to development in the area, traffic volumes have increased with cars, delivery vans and lorries using the road at peak times.  Local children face a daily struggle to cross the road safely to get to shool.  

Journalists, photographers and film crews are invited to attend: 
WHERE: Witham St Hugh's Children Centre, Muntjac Way, off Warren Lane, Lincoln
WHEN: 10am-11am, Wednesday 6th April 2011
WHAT: Justine Willis, PCSO Chris Boyle and Headmaster Neil Spencelayh will be available for comment.  Brake's Zak the Zebra mascot will be available for photos with Justine, Chris and Neil, local parish councillors, children and other local parents.

One of the best ways to protect children on roads is to lower the speed limit in towns and villages to 20mph.  Driving at 20mph or slower, you have a good chance of stopping in time if a child runs out three car lengths in front.  Any faster than this, you would hit the child and have a significant chance of killing or maiming them.  For the facts on 20mph limits, click here.

The campaign so far:

In 2010 local road safety officer Delphine Norton carried out a survey of Warren Lane.  She found that the road didn't meet Lincolnshire County Council's criteria for installing a crossing, since few drivers were exceeding the 30mph limit and the number of unnaccompanied children crossing the road was not high. The Council proposed a lollipop person, but the local community felt this alone was not enough: they want to be able to cross Warren Lane safely at all times, not just during school opening and closing times. 

On 7th May 2010, local parent Justine Willis wrote to Lincolnshire County Council to demand a pedestrian crossing.  This was supported by a 360 signature petition backed by the parish council, local police and Witham St Hughs Primary School. 

The Council responded by conducting an investigation.  On 15th July, area highways manager Allen Brown met with local campaigners, teachers, PCSOs and the PTFA to explain that it would not be possible for a crossing to be installed due to the survey results and a lack of funding. 

The local community are outraged and feel impelled to act before anyone is seriously injured or killed.  They are calling for a crossing and school signs on Warren Lane, and ideally a 20mph speed limit to make the whole village safer for residents to walk and cycle.  

Justine Willis, concerned parent says: "It is ludicrous that we have to fight so hard to ensure that our children can cross safely to get to school.  A pedestrian crossing is such a basic road safety measure: surely crossings should be installed outside every school? What the council don't seem to accept is the danger posed to children by traffic travelling at 30mph - if you hit a child at this speed there's still a significant chance they will be killed or injured.  We need a crossing and a 20mph limit, and we need action now, before one of our children is seriously injured or killed." 

Julie Townsend, campaigns director at Brake, said: "As a charity that supports road crash victims, we know all too well the appalling suffering caused by the death or injury of a child.  We must do more to prevent these tragedies, and to enable people to walk and cycle without fear.  Nationally, Brake is calling for increased Government investment in road safety, but we are also supporting communities who want to see local action taken now.  

“It is frankly an outrage for children to be unable to walk to school without their lives being endangered. 20mph limits and crossings are crucial in protecting children on foot, and the residents of Witham St Hughs recognise this. We’re backing their calls, and appealing to the County Council to act now, prioritising children’s safety and the basic right of all local residents to walk and cycle in safety.

“We’re also encouraging anyone concerned about children’s safety on roads to contact Zak the Zebra at www.zakthezebra.org and find out how Brake and Zak can help”.

Last year 22 under-15s were seriously injured and 230 were slightly injured on Lincolnshire roads[1]. Across the UK, four children (under 18) are killed and 81 are seriously injured every week, and the majority of these (59%) were on foot and bicycle at the time[2]. Brake works with communities to help prevent these needless casualties, and provides support to the families devastated by them

If you’re concerned about a dangerous road, Zak the Zebra can help. Thanks to sponsorship from Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services, Brake’s Zak the Zebra costume can be borrowed for a limited number of road safety campaigns. Tell Zak about your dangerous road or road safety campaign by completing our online form at www.zakthezebra.org, or calling Zak’s hotline on 08000 687780, kindly operated by Irwin Mitchell Solicitors (open 8am-8pm Monday to Friday and 9am-4pm Saturdays). You’ll get access to a free online Zak Pack full of advice on setting up a community campaign to improve road safety.

Steve Farmer, Managing Director at Balfour Beatty Plant & Fleet Services, says: “We are proud to be working with Brake to support community campaigns for safer roads. These campaigns are so important – local people fighting to prevent needless deaths and serious injuries on our roads, which devastate too many lives. By supporting Brake’s Zak the Zebra campaign mascot we hope we can help people on the front line who are campaigning to make our roads safer for everyone”.

Go to www.brake.org.uk/take-action to find out more about Brake’s campaigns to improve community road safety.

FOR MEDIA ENQUIRIES AND TO ATTEND THE LAUNCH, CONTACT EMILY MOXON ON 01484 550061 or 01484 559909 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

[1] Stats 19 data collected by police in 2010, provided to Brake by Lincolnshire County Council in March 2011.

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