Pupil’s petition for a safer road
White Waltham: Nine-year-old calls for traffic calming
A pupil at White Waltham CE Academy has started a petition she hopes will lead to traffic calming measures outside her school in Waltham Road.
Led by Jessamine Werner the petition ‘demands that the Royal Borough takes measures to slow down traffic by our school’.
The nine-year-old, daughter of borough councillor Simon Werner (Lib Dem, Pinkneys Green) said she started the petition because ‘cars were going too fast, and the pavements are too narrow, and to keep my friends safe’.
Jessamine said the narrow pavements mean ‘one slip and you are in the road’.
Headteacher Matt Thompson said: “We do a lollipop system, and a kiss and drop, and generally people drive way too fast.
“It’s a through road to get
from one area to another [Twyford and Maidenhead] and when cars stop for the kiss and drop, cars overtake to get past.
“My worry is that someone’s going to get run over or seriously hurt.”
He added: “We just need a way to slow cars down in the village and for people to drive more safely, considering there are children crossing morning and afternoon.”
Mr Thompson also said he was immensely proud of Jessamine and her friends, who have helped collect signatures for the petition.
“It’s absolutely amazing that children in year four are this concerned for the
safety of their friends and the other children in the school,” he said.
Jessamine said: “I asked lots of the children at the school to sign the petition as well as parents and even some of the councillors.
“I also spoke to Theresa May to ask her to sign at the [Maidenhead] Christmas Light Switch on and she said she would look into it.”
For Jessamine the ideal outcome of the petition would be ‘to have a zebra crossing and flashing lights, or speed humps’.
Her father, Cllr Werner, said: “I wasn’t actually involved in the petition, Jessamine asked her mum to help her with it.
“I wasn’t involved at all, but I imagine there was an influence there. She has seen me do petitions on many things and I imagine she’s seen from me that if you want to get something done, start with a petition.”
The Royal Borough has been asked for a comment.