MP proposes school road safety law after crash

An MP has proposed a new law to improve road safety outside schools following an accident at a Staffordshire primary.

A group of parents have been campaigning for more than nine months after a father was knocked down at a crossing outside Meadows Primary School in Madeley Heath.

They have been backed by Newcastle-under-Lyme Labour MP Adam Jogee, who introduced the Road Safety Plans Bill on 1 September, which requires local authorities to prepare a tailored plan for every school within their locality.

Staffordshire County Council said road safety outside schools remained "a priority across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent".

The campaigners highlighted a number of incidents and near misses on the 30mph (48km/h) road outside Meadows Primary, including an incident in December which left a man with a head injury while he was walking his daughter to school.

"It's just frightening. My worry is that the next time it's going to be a child," said parent Rebecca Mycock.

She told BBC Radio Stoke the group had set up a community speed watch to try to encourage vehicles to slow down, but "that still isn't enough".

"When we've been on speed sessions, cars have been coming through at nearly 50mph (80km/h) - that's frightening."

Concerns have also been raised about dangerous crossings and poor visibility outside schools, which prompted the local MP to propose the new bill to Parliament.

Jogee told the BBC: "We need action and to get the law changed and the people who are there to deliver that are Staffordshire County Council.

"The principle of ensuring that there is a safety plan for every school is not an unreasonable ask, it's a sensible one, it's a necessary one, and the sooner we can get to that place the better."

His bill is due to be debated by MPs next month.

Anthony Screen of Staffordshire County Council said he understood the concerns raised about safety outside Meadows Primary.

He said road safety measures had been in place there for some time, including a school crossing patrol, support for the speed watch group, and enforcement activity.

"These measures continue to play an important role in supporting the safety of children and families using the route," he said.

He added the council was also undertaking a feasibility study to assess further opportunities to improve pedestrian safety and encourage responsible driving at school drop-off and pick-up times.

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