Speeding motorists outside a school in the Wirral were given a lesson in road safety directly from the pupils they were accused of putting at risk.
Drivers caught breaking the speed limit outside Black Horse Hill Junior School in West Kirby were given the choice of taking a fixed penalty or being questioned about their driving before a special ‘kids court’ made up of a panel of pupils from the school.
The joint initiative was run by Wirral Council’s Road Safety Team and Merseyside Police.
During a two-hour period, 13 motorists went before the pupils’ panel after being detected exceeding the speed limit by the police. In addition, one driver is going to be prosecuted after being caught driving at 42mph outside the school – more than double the 20mph limit.
Cllr Liz Grey, chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee for Wirral Council, said: “This is a long-standing initiative between the police, our road safety team and local schools and has proven to be effective in changing driver behaviour, particularly around schools.
“The majority of drivers know the importance of regulating your speed in built-up areas and around schools, but for some it is only when they are faced directly with young people telling them the potential consequences of their actions that the message really lands.”
One of the comments received from a driver who was asked to face the panel of young people from Black Horse Hill was: “The children spoke really well and helped me to think more about the impact of my speeding.”
Another said: “I think this makes you more aware of the dangers than just receiving a fine or points. I’m grateful for the opportunity to talk to the children.”
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