Pupils drive home safety message

Children said they wanted more traffic law enforcement

Schoolchildren will be helping to drive home a road safety message on Monday, as a week-long 'Slow down in town' campaign gets under way.

Pupils at Coryton School, Cardiff, will be at the Millennium Stadium releasing 98 balloons into the air - to represent the number of children and young people killed or seriously injured on roads in Wales last year.

Road safety campaigners say cutting speed by only a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death for children involved in accidents.

Monday's launch coincides with a Europe-wide initiative - In Town Without My Car day - which aims to encourage more people to get to work on foot, bike or by public transport.

A survey of Welsh schoolchildren has revealed many are seriously concerned about speeding traffic.

PUPILS' SAFETY CONCERNS 75% want more speed cameras Half described the road outside their school as dangerous 70% think drivers should go slower near their school one in three said the road outside their home was dangerous 10% said they had been hit by vehicle while on foot 38% said they had nearly been hit 59% knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a crash 9% said their parents drove too fast 37% said they had told an adult to slow down

The road safety charity Brake found that 72% of those surveyed said they knew someone who had been killed or hurt in a road crash.

And 83% called for more police to be used to persuade motorists to slow down.

The survey also revealed that, while speed cameras were unpopular with many drivers, they appeared to be a hit with pupils - with 86% saying they were a good idea.

Brake chief executive Mary Williams said the results of the survey were disappointing.

"These survey findings are bad news for parents in Wales who want safe and happy children," she said.

"The UK has one of the worst records in western Europe of children killed on foot and the biggest killer of these children is speed.

"It is up to all drivers - many of whom are parents as well - to slow down in town, to prevent families and lives being wrecked for ever."