Safety call over Hartlepool child road accident figures

A leading motoring group has called for more 20mph zones after new figures show 20 children in Hartlepool have been knocked down in the last four years.
Call for more 20mph zonesCall for more 20mph zones
Call for more 20mph zones

Analysis of Department for Transport figures by insurance company Churchill reveals that between 2017 and 2020, 20 children were hit by vehicles in the area – with seven seriously injured and one fatality – and that primary school pupils made up 24% of all 84 road traffic casualties.

The data shows one accident involving a casualty aged between four and 11 happened in a 20mph zone and that four were hit during school 'rush hours' – either between 7.30am and 8.30am or 3.30pm and 4.30pm.

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Rod Dennis, from the RAC, called for more 20mph zones and physical traffic calming measures like road humps could also make streets safer.

He added: "There is also a clear onus on drivers who use the car to drop off or pick up their children to think about their driving. Parents could send a positive message to others by walking and cycling to school or parking away from the school gates.

Kirsty Hoad, from Churchill, said the figures highlighted the importance of teaching road safety to children as early as possible.

She added: "With more than half of primary school children walking or cycling to school, this is an obvious area where children will need to know how to stay safe.

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"We encourage everyone to take an active role in educating young children in their lives about road safety."

Nearly a quarter of the incidents recorded nationally resulted in severe injuries, with 36 youngsters killed between 2017 and 2020.