Safer Routes to School will save lives

I welcome the announcement that Bridgend County Borough Council has been given £245k for the creation of Safe Routes to Schools for Cwmfelin Primary, Maes Yr Haul Primary and Llangewydd Junior Schools by the Labour Welsh Assembly Government.

Too many children are hurt in road accidents around schools. 16 children aged 0-7 were killed or seriously injured every week on the roads. This is unacceptable.

There can be little doubt that local people want to see Safe Routes to School schemes because they limit the speed of drivers outside schools. But even with Safe Routes we still rely on drivers to act responsibly. We need to educate more drivers on the need to slow down.

In car accidents involving children, at 40pm 90% of children are killed. At 30mph half of all children are killed. At 20mph one child in twenty is killed. Even a small drop in speed, especially round schools, saves lives.

Cars kill more kids than cancer. That is why, if re-elected, the Labour Party will introduce a £100 million safer roads fund for Wales. We will introduce more Safe Routes to School and more 20mph zones outside schools.