Thousands of children march for improved road safety

More than 100,000 school children from across the UK will take to their streets today (Wednesday 13 June) to raise awareness of road safety and child road casualties.

Youngsters aged between four and 11 are taking part in Brake’s Kids Walk, in partnership with Co-op Insurance. This national project is helping them call for key measures to make roads safer.

Latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that 14,273 children were killed or injured on roads in England in 2016. On average, 39 children die or suffer injuries as a result of road crashes every single day. That’s the equivalent of a classroom full every day.

More than 100,000 children from more than 500 schools and nurseries are taking part in Brake’s Kids Walk, calling for five key measures to help keep them safe: footpaths, cycle paths, safe places to cross, slow traffic and clean traffic.

Among those taking part are 450 pupils from Carr Hill Primary School in Retford, Nottinghamshire. The school is running a week of road safety activities in memory of pupil Seth Bartle, 10, who died after he was hit by a car outside the school in January. The school is encouraging more families to walk to school, to ease congestion and parking issues at the school gate. And to assist those families who drive, pupils have created a map showing walking routes from roads further away from the school.

Short, supervised walks are taking place today and all week at or around schools and nurseries. Children will walk in a crocodile formation and hold hands to highlight the importance of being able to walk without fear or threat from traffic. Some schools are teaming up with their local fire service or police.

Schools can also run special road safety-themed assemblies, lessons and activities, using resources provided for free by Brake and Co-op Insurance. The event can be used to fundraise for Brake, which supports families who have lost loved ones in road crashes.

Schools taking part include Carr Hill Primary School in Nottinghamshire, Penshurst Primary School, East Yorkshire, Finberry Primary School in Kent, and the Woodside Academy in Croydon.