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10 September 2001 |
Children of South Hornby School will be “demonstrating” with placards outside their school next week.
The pupils will be demanding that motorists show pedestrians maximum respect when travelling near their school.
South Hornby School has been proactive regarding road safety for its children and parents have organised a roster to supervise the busy Main South Road-Seymour Street intersection before and after school.
As a result, more children are now walking to school along this route.
However, parents say that, although most vehicles give way for children, some drivers still try to intimidate pedestrians.
To make their point, the children will be out on the footpath next Thursday with placards asking drivers to respect them as pedestrians as they walk home from school.
Pupils will be at the intersection of Main South Road and Seymour Street on the afternoon of Thursday 13 September 2001 from 2.45pm.
“Parent volunteers supervising at this intersection say that drivers need to be more aware and considerate to child pedestrians,” says Paul Cottam, the Christchurch City Council’s Safe Routes to School Co-ordinator.
To assist schools, the Council has a support package of fluorescent-coloured vests for crossing supervisors and similarly coloured pedestrian flags for children. These are free to all Christchurch schools.
The children’s “protest” presence is part of a pedestrian campaign organised by the Christchurch City Council, Land Transport Safety Authority, Environment Canterbury, and the Canterbury Road Safety Co-ordinators.
The campaign includes a television advertisement with a rap song aimed especially at young drivers.
Over the last five years, one in five of the road fatalities in Christchurch has been a pedestrian. “Drivers should always be on the look out for pedestrians when they drive around the city,” says Susan Cambridge, the Christchurch Road Safety Co-ordinator.
“Children move very quickly, and drivers need to be ready to stop if there are children around on the footpath,” she says.
More information:
Photo Opportunity:
Main South Road-Seymour Street intersection, 13 September 2001, 2.45pm.
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