Citation

Clarke AD. Proc. PTRC Eur. Transp. Forum 1995; P288: 149-161.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Traditional approaches to road safety have failed to benefit vulnerable road users, and children in particular. Despite overall success in reducing road deaths in the UK it is now more dangerous to be a 10-15 year old road user than it was 30 years ago. Not only is this regrettable per se, it has also had the effect of severely limiting the freedom of children to play, walk, cycle and grow up in their own local environment. Treatment of accident, blackspots, AS Exemplified in the accident investigation and prevention programme fails to take account of the fact that the great majority of accidents involving children happen within 500 metres of their own home, and that they do not happen in conveniently identifiable clusters. Other statistics are used to further diminish the attention paid to children. Every child has to travel to and from school. By focussing on this trip, and by making it safer, safe routes to school projects offer a new approach -aimed at improving the environment as a whole. Routes to school that are actually taken by children are identified by questionnaire, and engineering measures employed to both remove unwanted traffic from the surrounding area, and to dramatically reduce the speed of remaining vehicles. Measures such as cycle routes, wider pavements, protected crossings, speed humps, controlled parking etc are all recommended. This approach differs from others by taking into account factors that are usually ignored e.g.: (a) an area rather than a specific site is studied and treated. (b) priority is given to the movement of children, on foot or bike. (C) consultation with children, parents and others is integral, and considered to be vital to the work. (d) accident figures are not the only criteria by which success is judged, or the basis upon which measures are justified.

Language: en