Charity Sustrans reports that as many as 580 deaths and serious injuries among children could be prevented in Britain each year with the introduction of 20mph into urban areas where 30mph is the current limit.
Indeed, as the clocks go back and children make their winter journeys to and from school in darker conditions, the need for safer roads is more urgent.
Miranda Krestovnikoff, Ambassador for Sustrans’ Free Range Kids Campaign, says; ‘Dressing our children in high-visibility clothes from head to toe does not tackle the source of the danger. What we need is to reduce traffic speeds in residential and urban areas to 20mph, and invest far more in creating safe walking and cycling routes, to school and beyond.
‘If we don’t then our children will be denied the freedom we so enjoyed, and miss out on so much that makes childhood special.’
Thirty years ago 80 per cent of seven and eight year olds walked or cycled to school on their own. Now that figure is reversed and 80 per cent of children of a similar age are accompanied by an adult, increasingly in a car.
As a result, children are less independent, less physically active (and getting fatter), and having less fun and freedom than they would like.
Sustrans launched its Free Range Kids campaign this summer to help change that and give children more opportunities to be active and independent. Support the campaign at www.sustrans.org.uk/freerangekids or urge your local MP to sign the Free Range Kids Early Day Motion.
Cycle Lifestyle enthusiastically supports this campaign.
