Christmas tree ceremony highlights road safety worries
BURNHAM: An infant school held its Christmas light switch-on event on Friday, December 3 to ‘bring light to the issue’ of dangerous driving near the school.
Dropmore Infant School says that the staggered school drop-offs during COVID reduced the number of parked cars nearby – and drivers have become used to going faster.
As well as being unsafe, teachers and parents have decried the increased ‘impatience and aggression’ of drivers, who have been using threatening language and gestures.
Headteacher
Gitta Streete turned on the lights of the 9ft Christmas tree. Parents and children joined in with a lantern design
competition and carol singing.
More than 100 people attended, including families, past pupils, school governors, church leaders and residents affected by local driver behaviour.
Dropmore raised more than £1,000 in the hour-long event, which it will use to increase road
safety. So far it has been able to erect two large banners near the school to raise awareness.
“We wanted to raise our voice in the community – to get some kind of response from the council and the police,” said Louise Meakes, a concerned parent involved in the campaign.