Midlands area named ‘riskiest’ for school run where kids most likely …
A West Midlands borough has been named the fourth most dangerous place for the school run[1] in the country. Sandwell[2] topped the region for pedestrian casualties involving school age children, according to new research.
The research, pulled together by personal injury experts at Claims.co.uk[3], revealed the Black Country borough has an annual average of 9.63 pedestrian casualties per 100k school age children – more than double the national average. Sandwell was the only West Midlands region that was named among the UK’s top 10 ‘most riskiest’ places, where young children are most likely to be involved in a car accident[4] walking to and from school.
The findings analysed casualties[5] that had been reported involving children aged four to 15, who were on urban roads between the times of 8am to 9am and 3pm to 4pm on weekdays. See the full table below.
The 10 councils that report the most schoolchildren pedestrian casualties
Council
Average Fatal or Serious Injuries per 100k
1
Pendle
10.109
2
North East Lincolnshire
9.647
3
Hastings
9.632
4
Sandwell
9.626
5
Worthing
9.558
6
Rossendale
9.438
7
Lewes
9.116
8
Darlington
9.105
9
Blackburn and Darwen
8.795
10
Sheffield
8.645
Commenting on the findings, a Claims.co.uk[8] spokesperson says: “While no one likes to think about young people being put at risk, it’s clear that some school runs are more dangerous than others for school-age pedestrians – and that prioritising their safety is key. You aren’t able to control when an accident happens, but you can ensure that you teach your child road safety tips to help equip them with the life skills they need to navigate the school run.
“You may also want to identify any road safety signs that could be improved, and request these from your local council – especially if it’s something like better street lighting or a safe crossing.”
A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: “Safety of all our children is rightly one of our top priorities so we are pleased that the latest figures since 2015 saw Sandwell making the best rate of reduction in child casualty rates across the whole West Midlands. However, we want to continue to improve which is why we are continuing to run road safety campaigns with young people and schools and are also currently working on our new Strategic Road Safety Plan 2024-2030, details of which will be released in the new year.
“Child casualties will be one of our key priority groups within the new Strategic Road Safety Plan.”
References
- ^ school run (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Sandwell (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Claims.co.uk (www.claims.co.uk)
- ^ car accident (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ casualties (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Martin Lewis dates you can get up to 70 per cent off Christmas presents – and its good news for late shoppers (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Get a free National Trust pass worth up to £50 for your family day out this autumn (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ Claims.co.uk (www.claims.co.uk)