Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to improve road safety for children near schools.

My Department issued revised guidance in January 2013 aimed at local authorities who are responsible for setting speed limits on local roads. This guidance advises traffic authorities to keep speed limits under review and consider, over time, introducing 20mph speed limits or zones in urban areas and built-up village streets that are primarily residential, to ensure greater safety for pedestrians and cyclists. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits

Local authorities can place signs warning road users that there is a school ahead and children are likely to be crossing. We give advice on this in Chapter 9 of the Traffic Signs Manual https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/226765/traffic-signs-manual-chapter-09.pdf.

We also support child road safety through our THINK! educational resources. We are updating our current programme to include a framework for age appropriate Road Safety Education skills and appropriate material for education practitioners.