'Children more responsible than parents': Four out of ten children injured on Walsall’s roads were hurt during school run times
Forty-two per cent of all children seriously hurt on Walsall’s roads were hurt during school pick-up and drop-off times.
The statistics by the Department for Transport were presented ahead of Walsall Council’s street scene and communities scrutiny committee on September 16, where members were to discuss the issue of school gate parking.
Leader of the authority, Councillor Mike Bird, said drivers needed to be educated, describing children as ‘more responsible’ than their parents.
A working group set up to address the problem made 16 recommendations including additional parking enforcement cameras, better partnerships with West Midlands Police and schools, and additional signage.
Nationally, the number of children killed or seriously injured during 2021, 2022 and 2023 was 11 per cent between 7am and 9am, and 20 per cent between 3pm and 5pm.
In Walsall, the figures were 8 per cent between 7am and 9am, and 34 per cent between 3pm and 5pm.
Between 2021 and 2023, no school aged children were killed in Walsall during school times compared to 29 fatalities nationally.
Councillor Suky Samra, portfolio holder for street scene, said: “I think we can all appreciate it’s not a borough-wide problem, it’s a national problem.
“But whatever we can do to guarantee safe access to education without any unnecessary risk on the highway is commendable.”
Councillor Mike Bird said: “When I pick up my granddaughter from school, genuinely, it’s chaos.
“The teachers are out there marshalling the children, but they need to educate the drivers. Many of the children seem to be a little more responsible than their parents.”
