Room 9 Media is set to release new campaign materials to warn parents about the perennial problem of school gate parking.
The campaign, ‘Cars and kids don’t mix’, gives parents a friendly but direct warning which is “designed to appeal to their sense of community spirit, and concern for their children’s safety”.
The message is delivered in a four page triangular leaflet and accompanying banner for display outside school. The graphics can be personalised for an individual school or council.
John Billington, founder of Room 9 Media, said: “We’ve looked at this problem and arrived at the conclusion that we need a new and innovative approach.
“We’re looking to appeal to drivers’ better nature – simply telling them off is of extremely limited value.
“As the style is also child friendly it is also ideal for classroom involvement.”
For more information contact John Billington at Room 9 Media on 01384 422578.
Room 9 Media
Room 9 Media was established in 2011 by John Billington who has many years’ experience in developing road safety and sustainable travel resources. Room Nine Media is an approved supplier for more than 70 councils across the UK.
Anything which raises awareness and reminds the vehicle driver of where they are (in front of school) has to be better than nothing. Think Gillian’s point about schools putting these up “periodically” is important. If they’re put up and left up there’s a good chance they will just become part of the landscape and the message lost, over time. In Oxfordshire S.T.A.R.S teams of young people (School Travel And Road Safety) work in a more sustained way within school to promote walking, cycling and scooting to school. This not only automatically reduces vehicles arriving at school but meeets the Public Health agenda too. This work can take the form of putting up or holding banners outside school but also includes researching suitable Park & Walk sites near school and promoting their use, walks on a theme (the Santa Express usually appears at Christmas!) and making sure that the expectation that children will walk wherever possible is in all the school literature (website, new starters’s information, home-school agreement etc.) It’s a several year plan to create a walking culture but the potential benefits in both traffic reduction and health are clear. Happy to share our Parking Programme with anyone who is interested in this approach. Note of caution though – it will only work if the school is prepared to take ownership of the problem and devote time and effort to it. If they are looking to Road Safety to come in and fix the problem then it’s unlikely to succeed, or at least that has been our experience over the past 6 years!
Mandy RIGAULT, Oxfordshire
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Yes Gillian – schools can buy them directly from us if they’re not available from their own local road safety team – best to check first!
John Billington Room 9 Media
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Can schools apply for these? Or is it for local authority as we are using our own ‘No Excuse for Poor Parking’ signs. Schools may like to have one themselves to periodically put them up.
Gillian Beale, Essex
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On corners, on bends, on yellow lines,in no parking zones, on zig zag school lines, on zig zag approaches to pedestrian crossings, on pavements, on actual pedestrian crossing zebra lines, at bus stops. But not at the nearest car park no more than 50 yards down the road. Beggars belief.
bob craven :Lancs
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It can be quite educational watching parents’ behaviour at school dropping-off and collection times, ranging from the considerate and conscientous who park correctly (even if it means a little extra walk) to the other extreme of parking exactly where it suits them i.e. on the f/way; on a bend; at a junction; on zig-zags; yellow lines etc. I can’t see a banner and leaflets changing this latter group’s behaviour as they must surely be aware of their bad practices, but are thick-skinned enough for the message not to prick their conscience. On the other hand, the occasional blitz by police and/ or LA parking enforcement might help the message get through to these.
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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Thanks for your comments Chris – the accompanying leaflet actually gives a lot more information but I think what you have to say raises an important issue.
Many public awareness campaigns face the problem of giving too much information and end up saying nothing at all. I think we’ve all seen unfortunate examples of this on bus backs.
The banner is designed to make an impact and to reinforce the existing message of the leaflet where more specific information is given. The graphics can also be utilised by the school to address detailed concerns about localised problems. The material also lends itself to classroom work.
The campaign gives relevant advice in an appropriate way for each medium employed.
Hope that helps
John
John Billington Room 9 Media
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Pointless campaign since it does not say what constitutes ‘away’. How far away? There are already markings on the road outside schools. Are these to reinforce those, or make them seem pointless.
Chris
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