25 February 2022

Drivers urged to slow down near schools after ‘concerning’ research

25 February 2022

Motorists have been urged to slow down near schools after research described as “extremely concerning”.

Analysis of vehicle speeds outside a primary school in Berkshire found that more than a fifth (21%) of drivers exceeded the 30mph speed limit.

Cars found speeding drove at an average of 34.1mph.

Young children don’t always have the best road safety awareness

Churchill Motor Insurance, which commissioned the experiment, warned that driving at that speed creates a stopping distance in dry conditions of 58.3 metres, compared with 46.7 metres at 30mph.

A spokesman for the insurance firm said: “The findings are extremely concerning given drivers are using roads where lots of young children will be crossing and it is often hard to see around parked cars.”

It added: “Driving over the speed limit, even by the slightest amount, can have a serious impact on braking distances.

“Young children don’t always have the best road safety awareness and may run out from between parked cars, so if a car was travelling above the speed limit when this happened, it may not be able to stop in time, leading to a tragic accident.”

The analysis was carried out on Bray Road near Oldfield Primary School, Maidenhead over a two-week period during term time in January.

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