The survey, conducted in 500 primary schools with Hampson Hughes Solicitors, is accompanied by the 'GO 20' campaign, which aims to switch speed limits to 20 mph around schools and homes. The campaign is part of the UN's Global Road Safety Week running from the 6-12 May.
More than 90 per cent of schools think local roads need to be made safer and 81 per cent want 20mph speed limits around the school and on routes connecting the school with local homes.
More than three quarters of respondents feel compelled to actively campaign to make local roads safer for kids.
Brake, alongside a GO 20 coalition of 11 charities, is calling for steps to enable children to walk or cycle without fear of fast traffic. These include:
- calling the Government to work towards 20mph across all communities;
- more local authorities to implement 20mph limits across all towns, cities and villages, alongside measures like safe pavements, paths and crossings;
- drivers to pledge to GO 20 or below around homes, schools and shops.
Julie Townsend, Brake's deputy chief executive, said, 'One of the best ways to protect kids on foot and bike is to slow maximum traffic speeds to 20mph around homes, schools and shops, to create a safe haven for walking and cycling. As the UN's Global Road Safety Week kicks off, we are appealing to the Government, local authorities and drivers around the UK to put children's safety and wellbeing first, and GO 20.'
Stephen Hammond, road safety minister, said, 'Speed limits should be set by councils based on their local knowledge and the views of the local community, but to help councils further we have provided an online toolkit and new guidance to help them make the best decisions for their area.'
Caroline Tyson, head teacher at London Fields Primary School in Hackney, said, 'We are delighted to support Brake and the GO 20 campaign. We were so pleased to get a 20mph limit and other road safety measures installed in our area, and we have seen an increase in children cycling to school as a result. But there are so many more schools around the country battling for basic measures to protect children on foot and bike. Reducing the speed of the traffic can only help to further encourage children and families to walk and cycle which, along with other awareness-raising initiatives we run at school, helps to build a better community.'
Higher speed limits also has a detrimental effect on children's mobility and health as parents are less likely to allow children to walk or cycle to school for fear of road accidents.
In the UK, 12 children are injured by cars every day when walking or cycling to and from school and two of these accidents can be fatal. Death in the road is the biggest non-medical killer of school-aged children in the UK greater than drowning, falls or accidental poisoning combined.
- Read more about Global Road Safety Week