Another child has been run over

[Cocopogo]

That’s two outside DC school in past few months. Probably both by other parents as both at pick up time. The school regularly sends out messages to parents not to drive down the road the school is on and to park elsewhere and walk but clearly some parents don’t give a shit. I’m very angry about this and also worried my DC could be next. Would you contact the school to ask what more they are doing to keep our kids safe? What more can they do? Get more staff outside at end of day? Stagger pick up?

@VeganVeal

Teach the kids road sense, dont push the issue onto others, poor parenting IMO

Parents parking dangerously and driving recklessly is poor adulting.

I’m glad to see so many parents agree that this is an issue - which has often been made worse by staggering drop off pick up times.

I really think the only solution is an exclusion zone (say 1/4 mile, which is only a few minutes walk even with a small child) for cars on school roads except for residents and disabled parents/ children.

This is worrying, you are not over-reacting.

If I was you I would probably:

• speak to my MP
• speak to the Councillor for the area the school is in
• try to engage with other parents - petition, encourage letters - this can be done via SM
• write a formal letter to the Head and Chair of Governors

And if you are minded to - a bit of media attention usually focuses headteachers' minds.

It's bonkers around the school at the top of my road. You can't see when trying to get out because of all the cars parked over zig zags and on the corner of the junction
Next door to the playground is a car park. As in maybe 10ft from the school gate. People don't use it despite the school pleading for them to use it (it's a church centre that isn't open at school drop off/pick up so can be used)

The school certainly needs to do more than send out letters. The police/council should be involved at this point. I can’t believe children have actually been in road collisions - are they alright??

@VeganVeal

Teach the kids road sense, dont push the issue onto others, poor parenting IMO

How nice. The little girl I mentioned up thread was killed when the driver mounted the pavement. She received a (paltry) custodial sentence.

We have a school street next to our school and it has made a huge difference. Yes teaching kids road sense is important but when people park over zig zags, on corners etc then kids can't see to cross safely (especially if they are high vehicles such as SUVs, vans etc). Couple that with people driving to fast, pulling up onto the pavement and doing random u turns and it's dangerous for anyone let alone a child. What I find so frustrating is that parents can't see that this behaviour endangers all children, even their own. But seemingly they can't so restricting access is the only solution that work.

@MyDcAreMarvel

No car zones discriminate against parents with disabilities ( not everyone can prove it with a blue badge) children with disabilities or additional needs. Parents who will not make it to work on time. It’s really not the answer.

There's always an excuse. Children's safety comes first.

If there is a disability, that is different. But that's individuals, not all.

Teach the kids road sense, dont push the issue onto others, poor parenting IMO

Actually the onus is on drivers not to hit children or other pedestrians, and certainly not at lethal speed. That’s made very clear when learning to drive.

It is a high school so kids are old enough to walk. My DC walk to a safe pick up point, bit more tricky in the mornings as I’m on a tight schedule to get to work but still no excuses.

I don’t know if the child is ok. It’s a friend of my DC but I don’t know the parents. School haven’t issued any statement or anything as yet. When it happened to the other child a few months ago there was a letter sent out basically urging parents to drop off elsewhere and walk.

This is a huge problem where I live and I see SAHPs who live under 15 mins walk away drive and park 20 mins before pick up every day.

BUT I really sympathise with some of the working parents with fine tuned commutes. The school has no breakfast club and insists children must be dropped in a narrow window of time. Spaces with childminders locally are like gold dust - you can't make people become childminders and there's an acknowledged shortage of them locally.

The school is in a village but has children attending from the edges of 3 near by towns due to the oversubscribed schools there. The nearest car park is 3 miles away and would involve walking along a busy A road.

Most working parents just barely make it to work on time under current system, and would get completely hammered if school streets came in.

@tilder If there is a disability, that is different. But that's individuals, not all.
And as I said you can’t always prove the disability. Many people would not qualify for a blue badge but cannot walk five minutes.
Children with autism may need to get on the car right back the school to prevent an accident to them.
Often children run into the road or walk in front of cars talking in their phones. The issue is not always car drivers fault.

@supermoonrising

Teach the kids road sense, dont push the issue onto others, poor parenting IMO

Actually the onus is on drivers not to hit children or other pedestrians, and certainly not at lethal speed. That’s made very clear when learning to drive.

I agree but kids do need to be taught to cross the roads safely as well. Not running out from between parked cars for example. Not stepping out behind buses. Not running across the lights on red.

Our school is fairly sensible with parking etc and we Regularly have traffic warden stood outside.

There is one boy in my daughter’s class who gives me a fright nearly every day though. His mother is completely in another world and despite seeing him running out in front of cars on a daily basis still doesn’t put anything in place to prevent it. It is an accident waiting to happen.

Even with the school streets schemes I think in cases where the child has a lack of road awareness it puts their guard down and they take more risks when on a normal road.

Kids don’t seem to do much road safety stuff at school anymore.

A child was pushed and fell into a car that was running at my kids primary , immediately they told parents no more parking along the school path and barriers were erected along it . Once is one time to many .

They are bringing in the school streets system here in my part of Essex slowly (three schools currently as a pilot). I see both sides as currently we are close and walk DC to school but I have previously been in the position where my commute was so finely tuned and I had to drive straight to work after drop off I understand the frustration of parents.

That said it is ridiculous the entitlement of some parents and we have seen a few near misses at ours (including an entertaining momet where one of the entitled parents got stuck and blockaded in the middle of the road by other road users and was most annoyed when trying to do the bolshy shouty bosom hoik moment and seek support from passing parents...and got none ....other than passing comments that she deserved it).

I am hyper aware of where DC are (as in they need to hold my hands until well out of area) because I just don't trust some of the drivers.

We often have the police standing outside to monitor it. Never works for more than two weeks and it all begins again.

I'm not sure what the answer is.i suspect the school streets campaign but I understand some frustration with it.

Our school asked the local PCSO to pop down at drop off and pick up time every now and again. It changes behaviour temporarily but then things revert back to chaos again.

@VeganVeal I have road sense and have been half way across the road on a zebra crossing (looked both ways first and the road was clear) when some dick head of a driver came tanking down the road and just swerved around me! Wasn't paying attention, driving too fast and too many parked cars over the zig zag lines. That's happened several times to different people on that road. Definitely not down to poor parenting, parents are generally very vigilant on that road as they know what's it's like. Its down to impatient drivers and poor parking.