Children Want More Speed Cameras
Discussion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3127752.stm
Children are frightened of speeding traffic and want more measures introduced to make roads safer, a survey has suggested.
Three-quarters of children said they wanted more speed cameras.
About 70% thought drivers should go slower near their school, with almost as many wanting drivers to slow down near their house.
Half wanted safer places to cross the road, with the same number describing the road outside their school as dangerous.
Four out of 10 said they were scared of the roads when they were on foot.
CHILDREN AND TRAFFIC FEAR
75% want more speed cameras
70% want drivers to slow near their school
50% want more places to cross
40% are scared when on foot
37% had told a driver to slow down
Source: survey of 1,500 7-14 year-olds in cities across the UK
The survey of 1,500 children aged 7-14 in city schools was carried out by road safety charity Brake.
Researcher Cathy Keeler said: "Kids from inner city schools are saying that they're fairly scared when they're walking to and from school and home.
"There's a very strong message coming across from children to drivers, which is 'slow down, you might save the life of a child on foot'."
The survey found children were most concerned about roads around their schools and homes when walking or cycling.
One in 10 of the children said they had been hit by a car themselves.
Slow zones
The survey also suggested that children feel uneasy about how fast their parents drive.
Two out of three said they had told an adult to "slow down" while being a passenger in their car.
There's a very strong message coming across from children to drivers, which is 'slow down, you might save the life of a child'
Cathy Keeler, Brake
The UK's record on road safety is better than that of many others countries in western Europe.
But there is a high death rate among children, with more than 100 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries every year.
Councils are now allowed to lower speed limits on their roads if they want, and several have introduced 20mph limits in built-up areas and outside schools.
But Brake said the level of fear among children in urban environments was still unacceptable, and said more urgent action was needed.
Children are frightened of speeding traffic and want more measures introduced to make roads safer, a survey has suggested.
Three-quarters of children said they wanted more speed cameras.
About 70% thought drivers should go slower near their school, with almost as many wanting drivers to slow down near their house.
Half wanted safer places to cross the road, with the same number describing the road outside their school as dangerous.
Four out of 10 said they were scared of the roads when they were on foot.
CHILDREN AND TRAFFIC FEAR
75% want more speed cameras
70% want drivers to slow near their school
50% want more places to cross
40% are scared when on foot
37% had told a driver to slow down
Source: survey of 1,500 7-14 year-olds in cities across the UK
The survey of 1,500 children aged 7-14 in city schools was carried out by road safety charity Brake.
Researcher Cathy Keeler said: "Kids from inner city schools are saying that they're fairly scared when they're walking to and from school and home.
"There's a very strong message coming across from children to drivers, which is 'slow down, you might save the life of a child on foot'."
The survey found children were most concerned about roads around their schools and homes when walking or cycling.
One in 10 of the children said they had been hit by a car themselves.
Slow zones
The survey also suggested that children feel uneasy about how fast their parents drive.
Two out of three said they had told an adult to "slow down" while being a passenger in their car.
There's a very strong message coming across from children to drivers, which is 'slow down, you might save the life of a child'
Cathy Keeler, Brake
The UK's record on road safety is better than that of many others countries in western Europe.
But there is a high death rate among children, with more than 100 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries every year.
Councils are now allowed to lower speed limits on their roads if they want, and several have introduced 20mph limits in built-up areas and outside schools.
But Brake said the level of fear among children in urban environments was still unacceptable, and said more urgent action was needed.
Too true ...
A connected story ?..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3127114.stm
Pupils drive home safety message
Children said they wanted more traffic law enforcement
Schoolchildren will be helping to drive home a road safety message on Monday, as a week-long 'Slow down in town' campaign gets under way.
Pupils at Coryton School, Cardiff, will be at the Millennium Stadium releasing 98 balloons into the air - to represent the number of children and young people killed or seriously injured on roads in Wales last year.
Road safety campaigners say cutting speed by only a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death for children involved in accidents.
Monday's launch coincides with a Europe-wide initiative - In Town Without My Car day - which aims to encourage more people to get to work on foot, bike or by public transport.
A survey of Welsh schoolchildren has revealed many are seriously concerned about speeding traffic.
PUPILS' SAFETY CONCERNS
75% want more speed cameras
Half described the road outside their school as dangerous
70% think drivers should go slower near their school
one in three said the road outside their home was dangerous
10% said they had been hit by vehicle while on foot
38% said they had nearly been hit
59% knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a crash
9% said their parents drove too fast
37% said they had told an adult to slow down
The road safety charity Brake found that 72% of those surveyed said they knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a road crash.
And 83% called for more police to be used to persuade motorists to slow down.
The survey also revealed that, while speed cameras were unpopular with many drivers, they appeared to be a hit with pupils - with 86% saying they were a good idea.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams said the results of the survey were disappointing.
"These survey findings are bad news for parents in Wales who want safe and happy children," she said.
"The UK has one of the worst records in western Europe of children killed on foot and the biggest killer of these children is speed.
"It is up to all drivers - many of whom are parents as well - to slow down in town, to prevent families and lives being wrecked for ever."
A connected story ?..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3127114.stm
Pupils drive home safety message
Children said they wanted more traffic law enforcement
Schoolchildren will be helping to drive home a road safety message on Monday, as a week-long 'Slow down in town' campaign gets under way.
Pupils at Coryton School, Cardiff, will be at the Millennium Stadium releasing 98 balloons into the air - to represent the number of children and young people killed or seriously injured on roads in Wales last year.
Road safety campaigners say cutting speed by only a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death for children involved in accidents.
Monday's launch coincides with a Europe-wide initiative - In Town Without My Car day - which aims to encourage more people to get to work on foot, bike or by public transport.
A survey of Welsh schoolchildren has revealed many are seriously concerned about speeding traffic.
PUPILS' SAFETY CONCERNS
75% want more speed cameras
Half described the road outside their school as dangerous
70% think drivers should go slower near their school
one in three said the road outside their home was dangerous
10% said they had been hit by vehicle while on foot
38% said they had nearly been hit
59% knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a crash
9% said their parents drove too fast
37% said they had told an adult to slow down
The road safety charity Brake found that 72% of those surveyed said they knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a road crash.
And 83% called for more police to be used to persuade motorists to slow down.
The survey also revealed that, while speed cameras were unpopular with many drivers, they appeared to be a hit with pupils - with 86% saying they were a good idea.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams said the results of the survey were disappointing.
"These survey findings are bad news for parents in Wales who want safe and happy children," she said.
"The UK has one of the worst records in western Europe of children killed on foot and the biggest killer of these children is speed.
"It is up to all drivers - many of whom are parents as well - to slow down in town, to prevent families and lives being wrecked for ever."
Good! Children should have fear of traffic.....it can kill them, even at very low speeds. If we sanitise the roads to the point that children no longer fear the traffic, more of them will get killed....think about rabbits...they don't have a healthy enough fear of the traffic and they get killed.
Fear of traffic is a GOOD and HEALTHY thing!!! It's called SELF PRESERVATION goddammit!!!
Fear of traffic is a GOOD and HEALTHY thing!!! It's called SELF PRESERVATION goddammit!!!
I've already commented on this story in the general gassing forum. But it makes my blood boil.
Ok we all want our kids to be safe going to school, but this type of report is not surprising. All our kids are used to is sensationalist press reporting that doesn't provide a balanced arguement. As such how can they form balanced opinions on a subject, especially something like driving when they don't drive.
The sanctimonius, two faced muppets, by the time they're 17 they will all be calmouring to get into a motor for lessons, they will all pass (Kids are not allowed to fail anything !!) they will glog the roads up even more, and then they will learn the reality of car ownership!! They won't be to quick to ask for more speed cameras then.
Ok we all want our kids to be safe going to school, but this type of report is not surprising. All our kids are used to is sensationalist press reporting that doesn't provide a balanced arguement. As such how can they form balanced opinions on a subject, especially something like driving when they don't drive.
The sanctimonius, two faced muppets, by the time they're 17 they will all be calmouring to get into a motor for lessons, they will all pass (Kids are not allowed to fail anything !!) they will glog the roads up even more, and then they will learn the reality of car ownership!! They won't be to quick to ask for more speed cameras then.
ridiculous! Children are even more suggestible than the uneducated unintelligent mass of adults. If you ask a child a question in the right way, you can get them to say anything you want. It is cynical to ask schoolchildren what they think of speed limits - they have no spatial awareness (that's how they manage to scrape bike handlebars along our cars with such alarming regularity) and are in no position to comment.
I'm not even going to dignify this with further comment
I'm not even going to dignify this with further comment
That's the problem with children - they behave just like children. A 13 year old boy was cycling along the road when a car pushed him into the path of a lorry coming the other way. Her defence was that the child swerved for no reason. Accepted by the CPS, no charge.
We have one thread demanding that 4x4s be banned on the school run and this one saying that if children stay on the footway they won't get hurt. But kids do have to cross road to get to school, it's a bit obvious if you give it even a small amouth of thought.
We massacre our kids in this country. In most other European countries children are much safer on the roads.
I enjoy driving, I enjoy speed, I enjoy getting the best out of my cars. I also go at no more than 20 mph around schools during term time when its arrival or depart time.
The main test of any civilised state is how they treat their vulnerable classes. We don't seem to give a damn about the mentally ill, courts are seemingly happy to have rape victims terrorised in court, and kids are expected to have the responsibility of adults, something that many drivers fail to attain.
I have kids and I was driven into by a woman taking her kids to school when I was walking mine. She mounted the pavement and I had to jump up in the air to avoid my legs being broken. I rolled over the bonnet and onto the road. that could have been my son. As someone said, if kids stay on the footway everything will be alright. Yeah, right.
Whenever I turn up at an accident one or all of the drivers have always, but always, done something absolutely daft. These same drivers no doubt pass schools. These are the ones we have to legislate for. And there are thousands of them.
Derek
We have one thread demanding that 4x4s be banned on the school run and this one saying that if children stay on the footway they won't get hurt. But kids do have to cross road to get to school, it's a bit obvious if you give it even a small amouth of thought.
We massacre our kids in this country. In most other European countries children are much safer on the roads.
I enjoy driving, I enjoy speed, I enjoy getting the best out of my cars. I also go at no more than 20 mph around schools during term time when its arrival or depart time.
The main test of any civilised state is how they treat their vulnerable classes. We don't seem to give a damn about the mentally ill, courts are seemingly happy to have rape victims terrorised in court, and kids are expected to have the responsibility of adults, something that many drivers fail to attain.
I have kids and I was driven into by a woman taking her kids to school when I was walking mine. She mounted the pavement and I had to jump up in the air to avoid my legs being broken. I rolled over the bonnet and onto the road. that could have been my son. As someone said, if kids stay on the footway everything will be alright. Yeah, right.
Whenever I turn up at an accident one or all of the drivers have always, but always, done something absolutely daft. These same drivers no doubt pass schools. These are the ones we have to legislate for. And there are thousands of them.
Derek
Response has been sent to BRAKE:
Dear sir,
Ive just read the road safety article on the BBc website,researched by a Cathy Keeler, and obviously released by yourselves.
The article itself (if reproduced correctly) seems to suggest that some 75% of children think that traffic is frightening to them.
So it should be!
Contrary to what certain supposed road safety groups (t2000 to name one of many) seem to believe, roads and urban streets are not to be used by children as a "play area".
With such an idea it is easy to see how so many children are being killed.
First, and foremost, a road is actually designed for traffic to flow along, its a transport system, whereas pavements are designed to carry pedestrian traffic separately. We hardly ever see cars travelling along the pavement at 30 mph now do we? (except in certain genre of american films!) but regularly i see the following: Children, deliberately halting the flow of traffic, while slowly walking across the road (in full knowledge of their actions) before casting the obligatory derisory looks at anyone attempting to LEGALLY drive along the highway.
Are these the SAME frightened children in your report?
Heres the problem: Far too much "think of the childrenism".
Too much leeway is given, and you people are helping to contribute.
Regarding the "survey" into what these little darlings think, how about supplying me with the questionaire via email?
Can you tell me what conditions existed before the questions were asked?
What i mean by this is, were any road safety films shown before the questions were asked?
If so, why?
You see, i am a cynic, and i believe that stats can show almost anything you want them to show if you ask the questions in the right way.
So, will you make the survey questions available to the public, or will you make an excuse?
As a pedestrian, a cyclist, and a driver, i am well aware of the situation that exists on the roads today, but what you people have to understand is this: Its NOT automatically always the drivers fault when a child gets himself killed. Youre looking for scapegoats all the time, and so long as its a driver, you really dont appear to give a dam about the truth of the situation.
Which is? Groups like yourselves have absolved pedestrians from the responsibility to keep THEMSELVES safe, via good practices.
I would appreciate a response to the points/questions raised, and would also love to see the questions asked in the survey.
Thank you.
Dear sir,
Ive just read the road safety article on the BBc website,researched by a Cathy Keeler, and obviously released by yourselves.
The article itself (if reproduced correctly) seems to suggest that some 75% of children think that traffic is frightening to them.
So it should be!
Contrary to what certain supposed road safety groups (t2000 to name one of many) seem to believe, roads and urban streets are not to be used by children as a "play area".
With such an idea it is easy to see how so many children are being killed.
First, and foremost, a road is actually designed for traffic to flow along, its a transport system, whereas pavements are designed to carry pedestrian traffic separately. We hardly ever see cars travelling along the pavement at 30 mph now do we? (except in certain genre of american films!) but regularly i see the following: Children, deliberately halting the flow of traffic, while slowly walking across the road (in full knowledge of their actions) before casting the obligatory derisory looks at anyone attempting to LEGALLY drive along the highway.
Are these the SAME frightened children in your report?
Heres the problem: Far too much "think of the childrenism".
Too much leeway is given, and you people are helping to contribute.
Regarding the "survey" into what these little darlings think, how about supplying me with the questionaire via email?
Can you tell me what conditions existed before the questions were asked?
What i mean by this is, were any road safety films shown before the questions were asked?
If so, why?
You see, i am a cynic, and i believe that stats can show almost anything you want them to show if you ask the questions in the right way.
So, will you make the survey questions available to the public, or will you make an excuse?
As a pedestrian, a cyclist, and a driver, i am well aware of the situation that exists on the roads today, but what you people have to understand is this: Its NOT automatically always the drivers fault when a child gets himself killed. Youre looking for scapegoats all the time, and so long as its a driver, you really dont appear to give a dam about the truth of the situation.
Which is? Groups like yourselves have absolved pedestrians from the responsibility to keep THEMSELVES safe, via good practices.
I would appreciate a response to the points/questions raised, and would also love to see the questions asked in the survey.
Thank you.
206xsi said:
Deltaf - I'm disappointed - you forgot to crucify them for this statement:
"The UK has one of the worst records in western Europe of children killed on foot and the biggest killer of these children is speed."
Looks like I will need to write too
Cant remember everything matey!
the Wiz said:
CHILDREN AND TRAFFIC FEAR
70% want drivers to slow near their school
50% want more places to cross
40% are scared when on foot
Isn't this what we've been saying for yonks?
i.e. Gatsos outside schools. regulate the school run. no mumpties, and then of course the MOST logical one, green cross code to be compulsary in school........
Brake are doing our job for us, just quote them as they quote gov't lies!!!!!!
Quote" Some anti-car campaigners are prime movers in their campaign; others are what Lenin described as useful idiots - people whose motives may be good but whose minds are blinkered, and who are manipulated and exploited by the prime movers. With a cynicism equal to that of Lenin, the more unscrupulous prime movers eagerly recruit children to their cause, and indoctrinate them so that they will serve as "useful idiots". Some of these cynics pretend that they espouse anti-car policies purely on the grounds of child welfare." Unquote.
Says it all really.
Says it all really.
"First, and foremost, a road is actually designed for traffic to flow along, its a transport system, whereas pavements are designed to carry pedestrian traffic separately.
Nicely put Deltaf
Reminds me - last week travelling home along the A316 (50 limit) outward bound. 3-4 kids (all sub-teens) crossing the road to get to the bus stop located on a fly-over! This is a 3 lane road that then becomes the M3 with armco along the central reservation. God only knows how they got there......but they must've made it across the opposite (3 lane) side to get where they were. One made it across, the 2nd got half way into lane 3 before darting back to the armco, the other two stayed by the armco. I was on the bike in lane 3 & as I went past you could see the look of terror in the 3 remaining kids eyes............FFS - with this sort of behaviour the road will become a 30 in no time.
I'm sure this is just one example of many nationwide though
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh !!!!!!!!
>> Edited by Yoda954 on Monday 22 September 09:59
Nicely put Deltaf
Reminds me - last week travelling home along the A316 (50 limit) outward bound. 3-4 kids (all sub-teens) crossing the road to get to the bus stop located on a fly-over! This is a 3 lane road that then becomes the M3 with armco along the central reservation. God only knows how they got there......but they must've made it across the opposite (3 lane) side to get where they were. One made it across, the 2nd got half way into lane 3 before darting back to the armco, the other two stayed by the armco. I was on the bike in lane 3 & as I went past you could see the look of terror in the 3 remaining kids eyes............FFS - with this sort of behaviour the road will become a 30 in no time.
I'm sure this is just one example of many nationwide though
Aaaaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh !!!!!!!!
>> Edited by Yoda954 on Monday 22 September 09:59
Derek Smith said:
That's the problem with children - they behave just like children. A 13 year old boy was cycling along the road when a car pushed him into the path of a lorry coming the other way. Her defence was that the child swerved for no reason. Accepted by the CPS, no charge.
We have one thread demanding that 4x4s be banned on the school run and this one saying that if children stay on the footway they won't get hurt. But kids do have to cross road to get to school, it's a bit obvious if you give it even a small amouth of thought.
We massacre our kids in this country. In most other European countries children are much safer on the roads.
I enjoy driving, I enjoy speed, I enjoy getting the best out of my cars. I also go at no more than 20 mph around schools during term time when its arrival or depart time.
The main test of any civilised state is how they treat their vulnerable classes. We don't seem to give a damn about the mentally ill, courts are seemingly happy to have rape victims terrorised in court, and kids are expected to have the responsibility of adults, something that many drivers fail to attain.
I have kids and I was driven into by a woman taking her kids to school when I was walking mine. She mounted the pavement and I had to jump up in the air to avoid my legs being broken. I rolled over the bonnet and onto the road. that could have been my son. As someone said, if kids stay on the footway everything will be alright. Yeah, right.
Whenever I turn up at an accident one or all of the drivers have always, but always, done something absolutely daft. These same drivers no doubt pass schools. These are the ones we have to legislate for. And there are thousands of them.
Derek
Newbie here so hopefully this'll work! (stay with it 'cos it is tied in with the above!!)
Not knowing the actual circumstances surrounding your accident I can't comment on it. I can however comment on the fact that a road (30 limit) near me now has speed humps it's entire length (3/4 - 1 mile long) even though all the local residents have been protesting at the increased noise/inconvenience/excessive pollution etc etc. While these humps were being installed, there was a bit of commotion on the letters page of the local rag, just one of which (out of about 20 or 30 that they printed!)was written in favour of the speed humps because "my daughter was waiting at a bus stop & was almost hit by a car as it mounted the pavement". Now here's the thing: correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think any amount of speed cameras there would have stopped that car mounting the kerb! Being a dead-straight road, I could quite confidently drive down there as fast as my car would allow without EVER managing to throw my car up onto the pavement! It's THIS that kids think they are gong to prevent by having more cameras installed, when in fact, as most everyone on here knows, that's not going to happen (as I said, don't know the details of YOUR accident). The point is, these kids are going to grow up thinking that speed cameras will prevent any sort of motoring "incident" & therefore they will be 100% safe! Apart from the obvious fact that that makes it even more dangerous for them as they'll consider themselves invulnerable, it means that whenever the local authority wants to put up a new camera, this generation of "brainwashed muppets" (got that right deltaf!), will just roll over & take it up the tailpipe instead of putting pressure on the government to put more police on the streets so they can deal with the kind of things that a gatso just ain't gonna see!
Sorry to start off with a rant but this one just got me annoyed!! grrrrrrrr
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