Councils tackle dangerous parking outside schools

09.58 | 6 July 2018 | | 2 comments

Two councils in England have launched new initiatives to prevent ‘dangerous and inconsiderate’ parking outside schools.

Both Nottinghamshire County Council and and Surrey Heath Borough Council say dangerous and illegal parking around schools, particularly at drop off and pick up times, is an ongoing problem.

In Nottinghamshire, the council has launched a second ‘CCTV road safety car’ (pictured above) – to help enforce ‘keep clear’ markings outside schools.

The scheme has been in operation since March 2016, in which time 1,500 penalty charge notices (PCNs) have been issued to motorists – 1,000 of which are for parking on ‘keep clear’ markings.

Cllr John Cottee, chairman of Nottinghamshire’s communities and place committee, said: “This new vehicle is part of our commitment to road safety around schools in the county and will help to address this genuine problems of dangerous or inconsiderate parking in many areas around school drop off and pick up times.

“We are keen to be able to meet the high demand we have had from schools, parents and others in local communities who have got in touch requesting this car to visit their area to help address these issues – so this new vehicle is essential for this as we have more than 330 schools spread across the county.”

In Surrey Heath, a new campaign is asking drivers to ‘Park Smart’ and put children’s safety first.

The campaign, supported by Surrey County Council, Surrey Police and local schools, follows repeated calls urging parents to park safely outside their schools.

Under the campaign parking enforcement officers are increasing the frequency of visits to schools, to educate people and improve parking behaviour – and issue tickets where necessary.

Surrey County Council has also implemented new parking restrictions outside a number of schools to increase safety.

Cllr Bill Chapman, chair of the Surrey County Council local area committee, said: “New parking restrictions have been installed outside more schools to improve road safety. However this does not help if parents ignore these restrictions.

“The SHBC civil enforcement team cannot be outside every school every day – so they need the assistance of parents to help make improper parking outside of schools unacceptable.”


 

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    Steve Hill, SEA Managing Director, commented: “Research from insurance companies suggests that over 1,000 children a month are involved in collisions within 500metres of school gates. ROADflow technology is proving a valuable resource in improving road safety near schools, for example providing a deterrent to vehicles dropping off or picking up passengers in non-designated areas or bus stops outside school gates.”


    Matt, Leicester
    Agree (0) | Disagree (0)
    0

    Can I ask if there is a road safety/casualty problem outside these schools, or is it a traffic management/frustration/irritation issue?


    Michael, Glasgow
    Agree (5) | Disagree (0)
    +5

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