MOTORISTS are being urged to slow down and park safely near schools in Rugby.
Warwickshire County Council’s Road Safety Education Team is working with Rugby Police’s Safer Neighbourhood Teams to promote the Cars and Kids Don’t Mix campaign.
This campaign encourages parents, grandparents and carers to think about how and where they park outside schools, obey speed limits, and take responsibility for helping to keep their children safe.
The teams are working together to get the message across through education and enforcement.
So far this year, eight schools in Rugby have launched the campaign – Paddox Primary, Hillmorton Primary, Abbots Farm Infant and Junior, English Martyrs Primary,
Riverside Academy, Brownsover Community, St Andrews Benn C of E Primary, and Boughton Leigh Infant and Junior.
Each school has received a bright Cars and Kids banner for their school’s railings, leaflets for parents with useful advice, and a joint visit from the Road Safety Officer and Safer Neighbourhood Team.
The council’s community safety spokesman Coun Andy Crump said: “The Cars and Kids campaign has been available to schools for a number of years. However, this recent focus has provided opportunities to work in partnership and ensure a collaborative approach to keeping our children safe.”
PC Paula Ketley said: “We are working with schools in Rugby to urge parents and motorists to slow down, obey speed limits and park safely around our schools.
“As part of this, Safer Neighbourhood Teams are running a safe parking poster competition, and showing pupils how to operate the speed camera and to leaflet drop vehicles parked inconsiderately.
“We have also conducted roadside speed checks around schools, as it is of great concern that nationally 49 per cent of speeding offences were committed in areas with designated 30mph speed limits – potentially putting the lives of pedestrians including children at risk.”
The campaign forms part of the Warwickshire Road Safety Team educational programme and is available for all Warwickshire schools free of charge. Email [email protected] to take part.
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roadsafety for more information about road safety in Warwickshire.
