A WARRINGTON-based campaign on reducing speed limits claims that children cannot judge speeds of traffic going faster than 20mph.
The 20’s Plenty for Us campaign – founded by Rod King, of Lymm – cites research on vision of primary school children.
Anna Semlyen, campaign manager, said: “Research on vision has found that primary age children cannot accurately see, or judge the speed of vehicles travelling above 20 mph.
“This is strong evidence that 20 mph limits where people live are needed to protect children from road danger caused by age-related inability to correctly register faster traffic.”
The study, by vision scientists at Royal Holloway, University of London, measured children’s ability to detect approaching cars in a road crossing scenario.
Research says that at vehicle speeds faster than 20 mph, primary school age children (6-11 years) may not be able to tell that a car is approaching, which the campaign says supports their arguments for implementing and enforcing 20 mph speed restrictions in areas such as residential streets.
The campaign says the speed illusion can also mean that all pedestrians and drivers can under-estimate the speed of faster vehicles, or even fail to see them.
Anna said: “We cannot address child road safety by simply teaching them to pay more attention. Child pedestrians can’t judge approach speeds as well as adults.
“It’s simplistic to blame children and suggest they ‘run out’ without checking. But this study suggests it is drivers going too fast that create errors, as it is then impossible for children to make correct judgments. It’s up to adult society to protect families through 20 mph limits where people live and for drivers to obey the signs.”
Pictured: A primary school child tries to judge the speed of traffic before crossing the road.
Children can't judge traffic speeds
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
11 Comments
Isn’t that why we have pedestrian crossings?
Just on one point……I’m not convinced that the ‘speed illusion’ means that ALL pedestrians and drivers could fail to SEE a car travelling at 30mph. Can sort of understand kids not being able to ‘judge’ speeds correctly though which is why as parents we teach them to cross at crossings or wait until there is NO traffic. The teenagers are the worst ones…. they are the ones who need educating.
and secondly……..”Pictured : A primary school child tries to judge the speed of traffic before crossing the road”???? The car and caravan are right infront of the child so I’m sure she can tell that it’s probably not a safe time to cross (sorry couldn’t resist) 🙂
It would be lovely to have safe roads everywhere but sadly there will ALWAYS be drivers who drive too fast regardless of what limit is set and there will always be pedestrians who walk around blinkered.
Children only ever get hit by cars if the children are in the road. Teach them not to BE in the road and it won’t matter what speed the traffic is going at. Used to be standard practice with the Green Cross Code and the Tufty Club.
Rod King is a “do as I say” control freak who seems to get a kick out of spouting this nonsense….. what are we going to have next? 20 mph on motorways that pass housing estates in case the little darlings wander onto the carriageway?
Did anyone see the piece with Rod King on the politics show a few weeks back regarding the 20mph limit? Interesting to note that each time it showed him cycling on roads he did so without a helmet.
Mr King – please sort your own safety out before lecturing everyone else about what speed they should drive at.
Given basic human nature, I think we have remarkably high standards of road safety in this country.
Agree. We have some of the safest roads and lowest road casualty figures in the world. That’s doubly impressive considering how crowded this small island is compared to many other countries. It ain’t broke. So no need to fix it.
Dix-watsit
It wasn’t me on the Politics Show.
Rod King
Dizzy
The report is recognising that primary school children have a limited ability to guage the speed of a vehicle if it is travelling more than 20mph. Hence they may not perceive it as a threat even if it is. This is about responsible adults recognising the limited visual acuity of children and adjusting their speed accordingly. That seems an eminently sensible thing to do.
Yes but in terms of pedestrian child deaths per 100,000 population we come 17th in the world behicd most industrialised countries.
Over the next 20 years crashes in Warrington will cost £780,000,000. This will all come out of the Warrington economy. 400 children will be seriously injured. Several will not even reach adulthood. 1 in 10 people will be killed or injured on Warrington roads.
I think that this is worth “fixing”!