Warwickshire residents are reminded that cars and kids don’t mix

WCC's Road Safety Education Team have recently worked with Safety Engineering & Warwickshire Police’s safer neighbourhood teams to re-launch the popular Cars & Kids Don’t Mix campaign.

Parents and other adults are being asked to be mindful and considerate of where they park to help make the roads around their child's school safer, less congested and help keep the air clearer of pollution.

The ‘Cars and Kids Don’t Mix’ campaign encourages parents and other adults – such as grandparents and carers – to think about how and where they park outside schools and to take responsibility for helping to keep children safe. This campaign aims to help schools reduce inconsiderate, unsafe and illegal parking outside the school, whilst helping to ease congestion.

Since the start of May, 32 primary schools across Warwickshire have successfully launched this campaign, with each of these schools receiving a banner for the schools’ railings and digital leaflets offering advice and guidance for parents and carers.

A further 15 Warwickshire primary schools have received a short digital animation focussing on the key message ‘please park away from our school’.

Mark Ryder, Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Director for Communities, said: “The Cars and Kids campaign has been available to schools for a number of years and we are very pleased to be relaunching this important scheme to more schools than ever before.

“There are a variety of benefits to keeping cars, wherever possible, well away from our school gates, ranging from increasing opportunities for physical exercise, improving air quality and reducing accidents. This Council’s hope is to see more of our children and young people, and their parents/carers, taking advantage of the nicer weather over the summer months to walk and cycle for shorter journeys wherever possible.”

SNT Inspector Sally Bunyard-Spiers from Warwickshire Police said “We are committed to doing whatever we can to improve the safety of children arriving at and leaving schools in Warwickshire and are working with partners to find permanent long-term solutions to illegal and dangerous parking around schools. In the meantime, we are asking parents, carers and relatives not to put their own needs above the safety of children. Please set an example and do the right thing – park in a safe place well away from the school and walk the last bit or leave the car at home and walk, scoot or cycle.”

Warwickshire County Councils ‘Cars and Kids Don’t Mix’ campaign forms part of the wider Road Safety Education and Safe and Active Travel schools programme to help schools and parents find safe and sustainable ways to travel to school with their children, including walking, cycling and scooting.

For further information please contact [email protected]

More information about road safety in Warwickshire is available on the Warwickshire Website: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/roadsafety