Spike the Hedgehog: influencing parking and sustainable travel
The Road Safety Team, from Leeds City Council, visited Talbot Primary in May to help with the on-going traffic issues around school. Their Mascot, Spike the Hedgehog, was a big hit with the pupils and the team handed out information leaflets to everyone and special stickers to children who had walked, scooted or cycled to school. This is part of their initiative to influence travel behaviour across the city, so more of us travel in healthy and sustainable ways.
To coincide with this, Year 5 had scooter training, so they can use them more safely as a means of travelling about on the pavements; this is important as a number of children at Talbot scoot to school on a regular basis. Year 6 will shortly be doing some advanced pedestrian training too. Whilst they are oldest children, they are typically at greater risk of being injured in a road traffic accident, as they have so much more independence. This training is specifically designed to help prepare them for September, when they will usually need to walk further to their secondary schools.
The Road Safety Team have also leant school a new banner saying “If you care about children’s safety, don’t park outside school.” Whilst this may seem like common sense to most, a number of parents continue to drop-off their children on the double yellow lines and yellow zig-zags directly outside the school gate. This behaviour blocks the line of sight for families crossing the roads, and it is extremely dangerous. It also causes an understandable deal of upset within the school community.
Please try and walk, scoot or cycle to school if possible. If it is not feasible, please support the safety of our families by leaving earlier and parking on an adjoining street, when you drop your children off; this will help avoid potential accidents.
