Bad drivers 'intimidate' children
Discussion
bbc said:
Bad drivers 'intimidate' children
Drivers on both rural and urban roads are criticised
Children feel intimidated by speeding and bad drivers in Wales, new research from Barnado's has claimed.
Almost 200 children a year are injured on Welsh roads each year, according to the report compiled with Transport 2000.
Other children are said to feel they are being prevented from playing in their own neighbourhoods, or are even being forced to stay indoors.
The study found the poorest children were at the most risk of being injured.
Barnado's and Transport 2000 are now calling for urgent action.
They want more speed cameras, reduced speed limits in residential areas and near schools and more investment in driver education.
High risk
In 2003, 3,224 children under 15 years old were killed or seriously injured on the UK's roads.
The report also found that children in deprived areas were five times more likely to be injured.
This was partly because they are more exposed to traffic and have less access to play facilities.
Children aged between 7-14 in Newtown and Cardiff were questioned as part of the Stop, Look and Listen report.
Fear of dangerous roads is causing children to spend less and less time outside their homes
Vikki Butler, Barnado's Cymru
Barnardo's Cymru researcher Vikki Butler said the dangers of the roads were a problem right across Wales.
"When we think of traffic we often think of towns and cities," she said.
"However, these problems also affect children in rural areas.
"Some of the children we talked to in mid Wales said that, although there was not a lot of traffic in their area, the cars that did pass were travelling really fast.
"Children have a right to feel safe walking, cycling and playing in their own neighbourhoods.
"Fear of dangerous roads is causing children to spend less and less time outside their homes.
"We want the government to act now to ensure that children get the positive childhoods they deserve."
Transport 2000 is an independent national body which seeks answers for transport problems across the UK.
Isn't this the most "thinkofthechildrenist" article you have ever read.
So. Reading between the lines...Because little children fear to tread in the streets of their near slum housing estate Transport 2000 wants more speed cameras on A roads.
WTF???????
As to rural roads...it is the duty of both drivers and pedestrians to be careful. If your kid is too young to cross the road safely by themselves your kid SHOULDN'T BE OUT WITHOUT SUPERVISION!
I heard about this yesterday, but the news was embargoed until midnight. I sent out the following PR:
PR143 - Road safety demands a rational and cold hearted approach says Safe Speed
News: for immediate release
Transport 2000 and Barnardos have today published a report entitled: "Stop, Look and Listen: children talk about traffic".
Safe Speed says emotional appeals won't save lives on the roads, and a cold hearted, rational, and above all scientific approach to road safety is required.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign said: "It's all about the right information. If we base our approach to road safety on the opinions of children we won't be effective and more will die. Instead we need to look at the vital psychological factors that underlie our system of road safety - it is after all the best in the world. It's facts, facts, facts that we need. Nothing less will do."
Paul continues: "There's little enough true fact in the road safety debate as it is. When a childrens' charity, and a pressure group funded by public transport operators comes along with puff like this we should be ignoring it in spades."
Paul continues: "There's nothing I'd like more than to see road deaths fall, but cheap emotional appeals from vested interests are never going to help deliver improvement. Arguments like those offered by Transport 2000 have already set UK road safety back by a decade. Let's have no more of it."
Paul continues: "It's good and it's human that children are afraid of traffic. Traffic is dangerous and fear is a perfectly correct natural reaction that actually keeps us safe. We should never hope for our roads to become playgrounds."
Recent DfT research tells us that just 131 children aged 14 and under died on our roads in 2003.[1] Total child pedestrian deaths (aged 0 to 15 this time) were just 74 [2].
There were 172 child deaths (aged 0 to 14) from accidents other than road accidents in 2003. [1]
Just 22 child pedestrians under the age of 8 died in 2003, and 39 under the age of 12. [2]
Every one is a tragedy and every one should be prevented, but it simply isn't carnage out there. We have a fine road safety system and we have to work intelligently to improve it.
<ends>
[1]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031346.xls
[2]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031390.xls
--------
The report itself is here: www.transport2000.org.uk/library/traffic.pdf
The ABD has a PR in preparation.
PR143 - Road safety demands a rational and cold hearted approach says Safe Speed
News: for immediate release
Transport 2000 and Barnardos have today published a report entitled: "Stop, Look and Listen: children talk about traffic".
Safe Speed says emotional appeals won't save lives on the roads, and a cold hearted, rational, and above all scientific approach to road safety is required.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign said: "It's all about the right information. If we base our approach to road safety on the opinions of children we won't be effective and more will die. Instead we need to look at the vital psychological factors that underlie our system of road safety - it is after all the best in the world. It's facts, facts, facts that we need. Nothing less will do."
Paul continues: "There's little enough true fact in the road safety debate as it is. When a childrens' charity, and a pressure group funded by public transport operators comes along with puff like this we should be ignoring it in spades."
Paul continues: "There's nothing I'd like more than to see road deaths fall, but cheap emotional appeals from vested interests are never going to help deliver improvement. Arguments like those offered by Transport 2000 have already set UK road safety back by a decade. Let's have no more of it."
Paul continues: "It's good and it's human that children are afraid of traffic. Traffic is dangerous and fear is a perfectly correct natural reaction that actually keeps us safe. We should never hope for our roads to become playgrounds."
Recent DfT research tells us that just 131 children aged 14 and under died on our roads in 2003.[1] Total child pedestrian deaths (aged 0 to 15 this time) were just 74 [2].
There were 172 child deaths (aged 0 to 14) from accidents other than road accidents in 2003. [1]
Just 22 child pedestrians under the age of 8 died in 2003, and 39 under the age of 12. [2]
Every one is a tragedy and every one should be prevented, but it simply isn't carnage out there. We have a fine road safety system and we have to work intelligently to improve it.
<ends>
[1]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031346.xls
[2]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031390.xls
--------
The report itself is here: www.transport2000.org.uk/library/traffic.pdf
The ABD has a PR in preparation.
safespeed said:
I heard about this yesterday, but the news was embargoed until midnight. I sent out the following PR:
PR143 - Road safety demands a rational and cold hearted approach says Safe Speed
News: for immediate release
Transport 2000 and Barnardos have today published a report entitled: "Stop, Look and Listen: children talk about traffic".
Safe Speed says emotional appeals won't save lives on the roads, and a cold hearted, rational, and above all scientific approach to road safety is required.
Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign said: "It's all about the right information. If we base our approach to road safety on the opinions of children we won't be effective and more will die. Instead we need to look at the vital psychological factors that underlie our system of road safety - it is after all the best in the world. It's facts, facts, facts that we need. Nothing less will do."
Paul continues: "There's little enough true fact in the road safety debate as it is. When a childrens' charity, and a pressure group funded by public transport operators comes along with puff like this we should be ignoring it in spades."
Paul continues: "There's nothing I'd like more than to see road deaths fall, but cheap emotional appeals from vested interests are never going to help deliver improvement. Arguments like those offered by Transport 2000 have already set UK road safety back by a decade. Let's have no more of it."
Paul continues: "It's good and it's human that children are afraid of traffic. Traffic is dangerous and fear is a perfectly correct natural reaction that actually keeps us safe. We should never hope for our roads to become playgrounds."
Recent DfT research tells us that just 131 children aged 14 and under died on our roads in 2003.[1] Total child pedestrian deaths (aged 0 to 15 this time) were just 74 [2].
There were 172 child deaths (aged 0 to 14) from accidents other than road accidents in 2003. [1]
Just 22 child pedestrians under the age of 8 died in 2003, and 39 under the age of 12. [2]
Every one is a tragedy and every one should be prevented, but it simply isn't carnage out there. We have a fine road safety system and we have to work intelligently to improve it.
<ends>
[1]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031346.xls
[2]
www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_transstats/documents/page/dft_transstats_031390.xls
--------
The report itself is here: www.transport2000.org.uk/library/traffic.pdf
The ABD has a PR in preparation.
Hello Paul,
this is really excellent adn is spot on as usual.
I have been trying to get the message across for years about unattended children on the streets.
But hey! have any of you heard the news this morning?
There is a proposal to have CHILD JUDGES in the courts!!! I kid you not!
How utterly, bloody insane is our society going to get before we bring back burning at the stake for offences of undeniable stupidity??!!
IOLAIRE said:
But hey! have any of you heard the news this morning?
There is a proposal to have CHILD JUDGES in the courts!!! I kid you not!
How utterly, bloody insane is our society going to get before we bring back burning at the stake for offences of undeniable stupidity??!!
Cant do any worse than the adult judges IMO... Shows how bad things are!
safespeed said:
Paul continues: "It's good and it's human that children are afraid of traffic. Traffic is dangerous and fear is a perfectly correct natural reaction that actually keeps us safe. We should never hope for our roads to become playgrounds."
What worries me is that this is so obvious to logical people but not to the clowns behind this report. I was afraid of traffic as a kid, it stopped me running out into the road but it didn't stop me leaving the house. i think the real reason kids don't leave the house is because they are kept in as every stranger is a rapist or paedophile nowadays
IOLAIRE said:
But hey! have any of you heard the news this morning?
There is a proposal to have CHILD JUDGES in the courts!!! I kid you not!
How utterly, bloody insane is our society going to get before we bring back burning at the stake for offences of undeniable stupidity??!!
Oh dear
They watched that episode of "Traffic Cops".... the role play kangaroo court with the "car thief who collided with the motorbike outide the school" Never seen such twaddle in my life. Oh - and before you believe these kids know such long words and are perfectly "au fait2 with what gives in a court room .... just think of the out-takes and the carful rehearsing and editing that went on.
Not exactly spontaneous.
Oh - and before you say "Wildy cat ist toppest scientist - knows all about biochemistry and effects of this and that on human body - but not expert on kittens"
Just remember - foster two - and have four and one more due soon.
Lots of children dotted around this family too - so know a thing or two about kittens and how they react and think too! And - remember - they tell us "children aged 0-16 cannot judge a car's speed properly, are vulnerable and open to suggestions, and because real courts are so intimidating - they have video-link set ups to protect children who end up in court for any reason" Their words - and that being case - how can they then propose to have "child judges"....
havoc said:
If stupidity became a crime...
...actually, I can't think of anything to say after that, it's just such a stunning idea. Work would become a bit lonely, mind...
Yep, and we could bring back the Witches Test, where you are tied to a swinging pole and dipped in a freezing river to see if you drown.
If you do you were quite clearly innocent and you get a Christian burial. If you survive you are obviously a witch, so they burn you at the stake.
They would have to burn Brunstrom.
They also claim that deaths are reducing in one breath - now stating that they are not - und this ist why they want more scams.
I have brought up my kittens to be fully aware that a car travels at a speed faster than they can run, und that if it hits them - it hurts. Of course - these children have advantage - eldest three - earliest memories of me chasing after them in wheel chair and then mit walking frames und so weiter...
Brought them up to use and apply Green Cross. Their peers appear to copy them too.
But children around here . .. as generalisation ...they seem to have got the message that our roads are not their playgrounds.
As for the spurious claims that the children in Welsh villages are frightened to venture outside their homes....
well...
Children appear to like computer games more than playing out these days. Even my kittens will try to do this...have to push encouragement to balance of activities with them.
Parents - including ourselves - are aware of potential dangers from things other than traffic as well - so we go to play parks with them - and there is no way they go out on the fells or lake alone.
As for the feral children .....they mention "education" - surely a significant part of this education should be aimed at training these children and their parents to have a road sense and knowledge of Green Cross Code and necessity to use the crossings provided for them? And a dollop of parenting skills would not go amiss either...
I have brought up my kittens to be fully aware that a car travels at a speed faster than they can run, und that if it hits them - it hurts. Of course - these children have advantage - eldest three - earliest memories of me chasing after them in wheel chair and then mit walking frames und so weiter...
Brought them up to use and apply Green Cross. Their peers appear to copy them too.
But children around here . .. as generalisation ...they seem to have got the message that our roads are not their playgrounds.
As for the spurious claims that the children in Welsh villages are frightened to venture outside their homes....
well...
Children appear to like computer games more than playing out these days. Even my kittens will try to do this...have to push encouragement to balance of activities with them.
Parents - including ourselves - are aware of potential dangers from things other than traffic as well - so we go to play parks with them - and there is no way they go out on the fells or lake alone.
As for the feral children .....they mention "education" - surely a significant part of this education should be aimed at training these children and their parents to have a road sense and knowledge of Green Cross Code and necessity to use the crossings provided for them? And a dollop of parenting skills would not go amiss either...
STupid greenslime and labour teachers telling lil kids that cars are "the enemy", and all such crap is the cause. What happened to telling the little barstewrds that the risk getting smashed to bloody mush if they play in the street??????
OF COURSE car drivers should be more aware, but hell there's some responsability that lies with the parents,teachers or guardians of the little beasts!!!
OF COURSE car drivers should be more aware, but hell there's some responsability that lies with the parents,teachers or guardians of the little beasts!!!
Marki said:
.
Of course - these children have advantage - eldest three - earliest memories of me chasing after them in wheel chair and then mit walking frames und so weiter...
Und Liebchen - the best bit of all this - I had wheelchair powered by an electric motor - und - er - um - I tinkered with the motor a bit and this thing could accelerate quite nicely - do not recommend taking a corner too fast in one though
. Well - you could say I got "done for speeding once" - about the only time I got a ticking off by the plod for "speeding". OK - so it was on a pavement in pedestrianised part of town - and the ramblers had to jump outa the way of me as I hurtled along at the truly dangerous speed of 12 mph downhill
after my eldest - then almost four and the twins - almost two at the time.... they had slipped the reins .... Even better was the handbrake turn I managed as well.... The plod was dying to laugh - I am sure it was mock "anger"....Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff