Bad driving near schools must stop

It’s long been a complaint from both headteachers and responsible parents that traffic is a problem around many of our schools.

It is unacceptable that our children should be put at risk by traffic in this way every day.

Anyone with a connection to a school will know of parents and carers who park on yellow lines, drop children off in no-stopping and parking zones and at times speed.

That’s before any of the risky driving or congestion caused by drivers who have nothing to do with the school and are just passing by.

It is a problem of historic architecture that many of the Victorian schools in our towns and cities were built on what are now busy roads and rat runs. Even some more modern schools, put up since we all took to driving cars, now find themselves on increasingly busy roads.

Some of these sites would be unthinkable as safe places to teach our children in now because of their close proximity to traffic. Many have gates that come out directly on to roads and even safety railings, zebra crossings and school patrols cannot always keep pedestrians safe.

It will be interesting to see the effect of temporary traffic bans being trialled this term outside two Welsh primary schools, to gauge local reaction.

Temporary traffic-calming measures, including closing the streets for limited periods, will be tried at Hawthorn Primary, near Pontypridd, and St David’s Primary, Newport.

Sustrans and Living Streets, the UK charity for “everyday walking”, want traffic restrictions around Welsh schools.

Living Streets chief executive Joe Irvin describes the school run as often making streets congested, stressful, even dangerous places at the start and end of the day.

At a time when parents and children parents are being urged to walk rather than drive to school, all steps should be taken to ensure they can do so safely. There must be some who continue to drive their children and see them into school because they worry about their safety if they walk.

It is time that inconsiderate and perilous driving and parking stops outside all our primary and secondaries. There have been cases in Cardiff and other areas where pupils have been hurt and even hospitalised after car accidents outside their schools.

This bad driving must stop.