Survey reveals ‘walking and cycling worries’: Brake

12.00 | 26 September 2014 | | 2 comments

Brake is appealing for “safer streets for families” on the back of a survey which the charity says shows that “two thirds (64%) of the driving public think local roads are at least partially unsafe for families to walk and cycle”.

In the survey of 1,000 drivers, 16% of respondents said that have had a “near miss with someone on foot or bike” in the past 12 months; and 62% said they “worry about being hit by traffic when they’re on foot in their area”.

Brake is appealing to drivers to “realise that children’s safety is in their hands” and reminding them that they can “make a huge difference to the safety of families on foot and bike by slowing down to 20mph around nurseries, homes, schools and shops”.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake, said: "It’s vital we make our roads safer for families and people of all ages to walk and cycle, and drivers can help bring this about.

“It is unacceptable that five children are seriously injured or killed each day on our roads, and it is unacceptable to deny any child a healthy, active upbringing because of local dangers.

“Our survey reveals that drivers acknowledge the risks families face on roads – but we also need drivers to realise the difference they personally can make, and always drive as though a child could run out unexpectedly.”

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    Simple question: How many pedestrians cross the road at traffic lights when the red light is against them? Has there ever been a survey to find out that information? I suspect it would be very releaving. Consider that if a vehicle driver crosses a pedestrian crossing when the light is red against vehicles, he/she would justifiably be prosecuted or fined. Answers on a postcard…


    Elaine, Northern Ireland
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    Where would we be without these useful surveys to guide us? Brake and other similarly concerned organisations should scrutinise their messages if they want to have any credibilty. e.g. “…by slowing down to 20mph around nurseries, homes, schools and shops”. They make it sound like a minimum speed. Some people may take it literally and assume everything will be perfectly allright at this speed! Their last sentence is much better advice: “..and always drive as though a child could run out unexpectedly.”


    Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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