Think of the children - BBC site
Discussion
Children at risk - a tale of two schools
by Jean Gray BBC News Online
The government is introducing Home Zones in a bid to cut casualties from road accidents
Road accidents leave 268 children dead or seriously hurt in Britain each month - while drivers protest at speed cameras, a study claims.
BBC News Online checked out the areas around two schools - one where investment has gone into cutting traffic, and a second near a thundering A road where changes are promised.
Children feel speeding and selfish driving are stopping them playing outside, claims the study by children’s charity Barnardo’s and environmental group Transport 2000.
The two groups are now calling for more speed cameras, 20mph speed limits and traffic calming measures in areas around schools and housing developments where there are a high number of children.
The "bad" area News Online visited is at the junction of Brownlow Road and the North Circular Road, a main intersection in Enfield, north London.
Facing onto the North Circular, close to the junction, is Bowes Road Primary School.
Alison Clarke, who has a five-year-old son, Louis, at the school, says people treat the local side roads as an extension of the main road.
"We have no pedestrian crossing and no lollipop person," she said. "A classic around here is cars not indicating then turning into a side road as children are trying to cross."
There is no phasing of the traffic lights for pedestrians, who are forced to dash across the road as the lights change - a practice Louis describes as "scary".
Close to the school, three lanes narrow to two and there is often standing traffic, with no barriers apart from those directly outside.
Artists and pupils got together to design parts of the Home Zone
Beyond the school lorries have careered off the road onto the pavement near a sharp turning.
‘There is only one sign to tell drivers they are approaching a school but plenty of signs warning them of speed bumps,’ said Ms Clarke.
‘It’s as though damaging your car is worse than damaging a child.’
‘Now we have been told some sort of crossing is to be built but we don’t yet know what it will be.’
Transport for London said the area is to be given a boost under the Mayor of London’s five-year transport investment programme.
This, said Mayor Ken Livingstone, will include a road safety scheme and pedestrian improvements at the Brownlow Road junction as part of £24m improvements to the North Circular Road.
The mayor called it ‘a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reverse decades of under-investment in Enfield and right across London.’
Meanwhile, the area around Eleanor Palmer Primary School in Tufnell Park, north west London, is an oasis of calm.
Its problems have never been on a par with the North Circular but the surrounding roads were used as a rat-run before a £450,000 government cash injection brought pedestrianisation, barriers, better lighting and 20mph speed restrictions.
The area has been designated a Home Zone - a government initiative to reduce traffic flow speeds and casualties from road collisions.
Barriers, signs, lighting and a paved pedestrian section have turned the area into an oasis
‘The aim has been to cut speeds down to 15mph in the surrounding roads,’ said Cllr John Thane, Camden Council’s executive member for transport and the environment.
‘There are still roads where speeds are hovering above this but we are getting there.’
The scheme was completed in November 2003 but minor improvements are still being made.
‘Next week we are adding more bays with dual resident/pay and display use,’ said Cllr Thane.
‘But most people walk here with their children. The school has been very good at promoting green routes.’
‘It’s a fairly expensive scheme but benefits both the kids at the school and residents in the area, and getting rid of traffic is clearly a huge bonus.’
by Jean Gray BBC News Online
The government is introducing Home Zones in a bid to cut casualties from road accidents
Road accidents leave 268 children dead or seriously hurt in Britain each month - while drivers protest at speed cameras, a study claims.
BBC News Online checked out the areas around two schools - one where investment has gone into cutting traffic, and a second near a thundering A road where changes are promised.
Children feel speeding and selfish driving are stopping them playing outside, claims the study by children’s charity Barnardo’s and environmental group Transport 2000.
The two groups are now calling for more speed cameras, 20mph speed limits and traffic calming measures in areas around schools and housing developments where there are a high number of children.
The "bad" area News Online visited is at the junction of Brownlow Road and the North Circular Road, a main intersection in Enfield, north London.
Facing onto the North Circular, close to the junction, is Bowes Road Primary School.
Alison Clarke, who has a five-year-old son, Louis, at the school, says people treat the local side roads as an extension of the main road.
"We have no pedestrian crossing and no lollipop person," she said. "A classic around here is cars not indicating then turning into a side road as children are trying to cross."
There is no phasing of the traffic lights for pedestrians, who are forced to dash across the road as the lights change - a practice Louis describes as "scary".
Close to the school, three lanes narrow to two and there is often standing traffic, with no barriers apart from those directly outside.
Artists and pupils got together to design parts of the Home Zone
Beyond the school lorries have careered off the road onto the pavement near a sharp turning.
‘There is only one sign to tell drivers they are approaching a school but plenty of signs warning them of speed bumps,’ said Ms Clarke.
‘It’s as though damaging your car is worse than damaging a child.’
‘Now we have been told some sort of crossing is to be built but we don’t yet know what it will be.’
Transport for London said the area is to be given a boost under the Mayor of London’s five-year transport investment programme.
This, said Mayor Ken Livingstone, will include a road safety scheme and pedestrian improvements at the Brownlow Road junction as part of £24m improvements to the North Circular Road.
The mayor called it ‘a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reverse decades of under-investment in Enfield and right across London.’
Meanwhile, the area around Eleanor Palmer Primary School in Tufnell Park, north west London, is an oasis of calm.
Its problems have never been on a par with the North Circular but the surrounding roads were used as a rat-run before a £450,000 government cash injection brought pedestrianisation, barriers, better lighting and 20mph speed restrictions.
The area has been designated a Home Zone - a government initiative to reduce traffic flow speeds and casualties from road collisions.
Barriers, signs, lighting and a paved pedestrian section have turned the area into an oasis
‘The aim has been to cut speeds down to 15mph in the surrounding roads,’ said Cllr John Thane, Camden Council’s executive member for transport and the environment.
‘There are still roads where speeds are hovering above this but we are getting there.’
The scheme was completed in November 2003 but minor improvements are still being made.
‘Next week we are adding more bays with dual resident/pay and display use,’ said Cllr Thane.
‘But most people walk here with their children. The school has been very good at promoting green routes.’
‘It’s a fairly expensive scheme but benefits both the kids at the school and residents in the area, and getting rid of traffic is clearly a huge bonus.’
Agh, more numptyism.
I just can't summon up the energy to attack this "think of the children"ism with the full vehemence it deserves.
When will this idiotic knee-jerk "reduced speeds = cute fluffy bunnies saved" crap be exposed for what it is?
The North Circular is a major traffic route. It is not a
playground. Educate the kids, give them crossings, but don't about with more reduced speed limits and pedestrianised zones.
They inadvertently show hoe pointless speed bumps are though, complaining about too many signs for those and not enough for the schools, not to mention people "concerned with damaging their cars" - damn straight, I am fed up of grounding my car on the bloody things, and people have extra hazards to concentrate on when they should be looking out for kids.
Absolute madness.
I just can't summon up the energy to attack this "think of the children"ism with the full vehemence it deserves.
When will this idiotic knee-jerk "reduced speeds = cute fluffy bunnies saved" crap be exposed for what it is?
The North Circular is a major traffic route. It is not a
playground. Educate the kids, give them crossings, but don't about with more reduced speed limits and pedestrianised zones. They inadvertently show hoe pointless speed bumps are though, complaining about too many signs for those and not enough for the schools, not to mention people "concerned with damaging their cars" - damn
straight, I am fed up of grounding my car on the bloody things, and people have extra hazards to concentrate on when they should be looking out for kids. Absolute madness.
MMC said:
Children feel speeding and selfish driving are stopping them playing outside, claims the study by children’s charity Barnardo’s and environmental group Transport 2000.
Hmmm! You tried prizing them away from a computer game to play outside?
Oh - I see.... we are responsible for childhood obesity as well now.... since they are scared of playing out!
But roads are not and never were playgrounds - even when I were a lad...
MMC said:
The two groups are now calling for more speed cameras, 20mph speed limits and traffic calming measures in areas around schools and housing developments where there are a high number of children.
Um - already got them ...throughout North West anyway... especially LanCASH£re
MMC said:
Catalogue of horrors relating to absolutely disgraceful services in return for high council taxes in the past
One would hope that the "investment" is sensible road engineering and not series of large humps and scams...
The problem seems to be lack of crossing, poor engineering than poor driving standards and speed. Indeed - she say traffic is often standing - so no threat speedwise there really...
Wonder if they had a Census to decide this
But - wait a moment... we get to nitty gritty of what they have in mind here...
MMC said:
‘The aim has been to cut speeds down to 15mph in the surrounding roads,’ said Cllr John Thane, Camden Council’s executive member for transport and the environment.
‘There are still roads where speeds are hovering above this but we are getting there.’
Is that 15 mph on the residential roads or a blanket 15mph in the area - and is it enforceable?
And please tell me there are no cycle lanes like those in Ambleside......
MMC said:
‘Next week we are adding more bays with dual resident/pay and display use,’ said Cllr Thane.
Ah! More traffic wardens ........ and lots of dosh from residents too to pay for a bay as well!
MMC said:
‘It’s a fairly expensive scheme but benefits both the kids at the school and residents in the area, and getting rid of traffic is clearly a huge bonus.’
Now we have it "getting rid of traffic.....
But.. what has happened to the Mumpties - and if they bring in the £400 School Bus everywhere .... more
Mumpties.... all scrapping with the residents over the bays and driving over the pedestrianised bits...... 
Seen it all - even in lovely Cumbria ... on the school run
>> Edited by Mad Moggie on Wednesday 13th October 23:34
You're right, Mad Moggie, My morning journey involves turning left off a "B" road,at a small "triangle" junction, going past a school immediately on the left with a narrow right hand bend, To the right of which is a high hedge with a footpath behind, and a gap in the hedge to cross the road.
The dear loving Parents of the kids , park all over the "B" road junction ( what about the 15 yrd rule Bib's) cover the triangle with 4 wheel drives. Park on the narrow lane in front of the school,(tight right hand bend) forcing you to drive on the right on a very blind bend with oncoming traffic AND a small gap onthe right from which kids appear looking the other way of course.
I've never seen anything more dangerous than this in my life, and it's an accident,(no doubt blamed on the unfortunate motorist involved, waiting to happen) and the Police do: "nothing"! MuM's with Kids are immune to road traffic laws.
The real upshot of it all is....That the school has large enough gates, and enough space inside it's own grounds to accomodate ALL the cars to pick up ALL of the Kids in perfect safety! But hey! If they force the problem outside, it's nothing to do with them, is it? You can't claim from them for a road accident outside!
This country sucks!!!
The dear loving Parents of the kids , park all over the "B" road junction ( what about the 15 yrd rule Bib's) cover the triangle with 4 wheel drives. Park on the narrow lane in front of the school,(tight right hand bend) forcing you to drive on the right on a very blind bend with oncoming traffic AND a small gap onthe right from which kids appear looking the other way of course.
I've never seen anything more dangerous than this in my life, and it's an accident,(no doubt blamed on the unfortunate motorist involved, waiting to happen) and the Police do: "nothing"! MuM's with Kids are immune to road traffic laws.
The real upshot of it all is....That the school has large enough gates, and enough space inside it's own grounds to accomodate ALL the cars to pick up ALL of the Kids in perfect safety! But hey! If they force the problem outside, it's nothing to do with them, is it? You can't claim from them for a road accident outside!
This country sucks!!!
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