CHILDREN’S letters have prompted police to take action against speeding motorists in a village who break the limit more than a 1,000 times a day.
Mobile speed enforcement was launched in Madresfield on Monday (June 23) and could be in place for months until drivers slow down.
The Safer Roads Partnership monitored the area for a week last month (May) and found on average 45 per cent of motorists – 1,286 – broke the 30mph speed limit every day and more than 400 drivers travelled in excess of 35.5mph.
Youngsters from Madresfield Primary School had wrote letters about the problems, videoed vehicles zooming passed and had even been out with a speed gun recording speeds of upto 54mph.
Maggie Miles, teacher at the school, said: “I have been here for more than 20 years and there have been quite a few near misses. Thank goodness no one has been hurt but it is an accident waiting to happen. People use this road as a rat run.”
The pupils explained they felt vulnerable walking to and from school in letters which were handed to Con Sarah Ransome-Williams from the local police team who alerted the Safer Roads Partnership.
Anna Higgins from the SRP confirmed the mobile speed enforcement would be in place until the majority of motorists were travelling below the national threshold for enforcement – 85 per cent of people driving below 35.5mph in the area.
But parking issues at the school in the morning and at the end of the day are just as bad and adding to the speed problems, the pupils claimed.
They said parents double-parked on the road, left their vehicles on the yellow zig zag lines, parked on the pavements and even on the bends where there is poor visibility.
Kai Skerritt, 10, said there were often ‘face-offs’ in the morning between vehicles in opposing directions, while Olly Davies, also 10, said cars often had to reverse back up the road when it became ‘blocked up’.
Mrs Miles called on more parents to register with the school’s walking bus service where children can be dropped off in Madresfield Working Men’s Club car park and supervised while they make the short trek to the school through a countryside pathway. Children can also be picked up from the same place at the end of the day.
“The parking has been an ongoing problem for years,” said Mrs Miles.
“Parents can be so silly I have seen them park on the pavement and send their children over the road. It is so dangerous.
“The walking bus is a lovely countryside route and more people should use it.”
