Safe Speed Forums

I was watching the lunchtime news today and they had a feature about kids not walking to school.

The thing that stood out for me was the comment at the end. "Parents are pressing for road safety training to be mandatory in schools" (or words to that effect). Can't they do it themselves then or are they so lazy they can't be bothered I thought?

Another example of 'something must be done' (but not by me I can't be bothered)

Mike.

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www.misspelled-signs.com - A tribute to illiterate signwriters.

Sod that, do it yourselves!

Having said that, I cannot remember when the Green Cross Code commercials stopped but I can virtually guarantee that the new parents never got to see those commercials so don't know how simple it is to teach kids to cross the road safely.

My wife and I taught our kids and if we are looking after anyone else's kids and have to cross the road we will teach them how to cross a road safely too.

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Prepare to be Judged

Wikipedia suggests 1990, I would have said slightly earlier than that, but either way it's been a while since we had any decent large scale pedestrian-oriented safety information/education

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Chris

Which means the majority of young parents now will not have seen them and:
a) realised that the govenrment used to have good road awareness adverts instead of alarmist ones
b) learned the simple rules which keep children from getting hit on the roads

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Prepare to be Judged

But, of course, children DO learn from their parents......which means that another generation is developing in the certain knowledge that roads are merely pavements with kerbs. This being so, one assumes that their skills in the use of invective will be honed in the process.

This circle of ignorance must be broken. I'll give 100% support to any initiative that teaches children the dangers - and responsibilities - of being pedestrians (cyclists as well for that matter). Who knows - maybe the kids could teach the parents!

Do they? Sorry bud, but I'm not so sure...

How can a child get guidance from a mother who is herself a child? Children having children.

My mum was nearly 40 when she had me. As a kid I used to walk with her, either holding her hand or pushing her trolley full of shopping which we got from local shops; not an out of town supermarket. I watch her as she navigated the roads, (by foot, not car), and she led by good example.

Back then, it wasn't uncommon to get married and start a family in your late twenties/early thirties. I used to walk to school about 2 miles away.

These days, a kid gets knocked-up at 16 and expects society to provide, feed and educate their child. Before they have contributed a single penny to society they expect the world to owe them a living.

Suddenly, they have the best pram, the latest mobile phone and a packet of B&H stuffed in their designer pants.

They haven't the brain to cross a road so when they do jump in the road in front of you we have to stop you driving so fast, don't we?

Eventually they will set a blanket 10 mph maximum on all roads in order to achieve zero casualties because kids are oblivious to traffic. Of course, we could also pull our teeth out and never have tooth ache again. I'm sure I could come up with many more analogies…

Has my generalisation p1$$ed off any group out there today? Good!

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

You go on to make the very point that I'm sure Cabbie was alluding to. Kids DO learn from their parents; whether they learn the right things that are good for society in general is a completely different matter.

exactly

Opps, you're right. That's what I should have said.

None so deaf as those who wont listen (me)

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

The start of the problem - for some reason or another kids don't walk to school, so don't get taught the Green cross code on the way to school, and even if there were still road safety teaching at school, it has no foundation or backup .
Strangely enough - (and i hate playstreets - there are streets and play areas , but not a mix) - i notice that in my area where the kids (in the 20 mph, humped areas) play ball in the streets that a vehicle is spotted early and the kids get on the pavement early. Also spot them being traffic aware. Could this be a by product ?

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I was watching the BBC 6 o'clock News yesterday when they were showing reports following the 'record-breaking walking busses' publicity stunt organised by Brake.

One piece of footage showed a reporter alongside one of the children at the head of a group and interviewing the child as they walked. The reporter was on the inside with the cameraman in front and to the side again with a view of both of them and the road behind, forcing the child to be on the side of the pavement nearest the road and to be walking precariously close to the kerb.

Presumably this was done to give an impression of traffic whizzing past behind them as they walked, and of course all completely contrary to Highway Code guidelines and putting the child in unnecessary danger (whether or not it was done for effect).

Bloody shameful IMO.