Campaign to cut child road deaths

A hard-hitting campaign has been launched to warn motorists of the dangers of flouting the 30mph speed limit on Staffordshire's roads.

As part of the drive, all 30 of Staffordshire County Council's school buses are displaying an image of a young child walking out from behind a parked car, flanked by a 30mph road sign.

The high profile initiative was launched this week and aims to reduce the number of children who are killed or injured on the roads.

Called the "2009 Children's Campaign", the scheme is being run by Staffordshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, and includes Staffordshire County Council, Staffordshire Police, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Stoke City Council.

The partnership will host a range of activities during the next three months, including offering advice on staying safe on the roads, whether walking, cycling or driving.

Councillor Maureen Compton headed the launch of the scheme, which took place in her ward at St John's Primary School in Stafford. She said: "I am delighted that this campaign was kicked off with the help of pupils at St John's Primary School.

"Highlighting the campaign on the bright yellow school buses is an excellent way of getting the safety message out to the whole community.

We want to remind everyone that the speed limit is 30mph for a reason."

Councillor Carol Dean, cabinet member for road safety, said the council had spearheaded a number of successful schemes which had led to the county's road network being ranked the third safest in the UK.