The Bracknell Forest Liberal Democrats are pleased to note the success of our motion to Bracknell Forest Council seeking to improve road safety around local schools.
The motion, which was approved unanimously by Bracknell Forest Councillors at last week’s Council Meeting, calls on the Executive to work with council officers to explore options to improve highways safety around Borough schools, including implementing 20 mph speed limits where needed on roads adjacent to schools.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Tina Eberle (Crowthorne Ward), who moved the motion, said:
“Residents in my ward of Crowthorne have reached out to me to express concerns regarding road safety for all pedestrians, particularly around school drop-off and collections. The roads are naturally a little more crowded at these times. There have been reports of impatient drivers racing to get through green lights and in one case a vehicle mounting the pavement to progress against oncoming traffic at a junction near to one school in the ward. Fortunately we’ve not had a serious accident yet, but it would be a tragedy if we waited until it’s too late to take action.
This motion provides clear direction to the Council Executive and the Highways Team to work to identify safety improvements on roads around schools, including exploring options to implement 20 mph speed limits where appropriate.
We understand that slower speed limits are not always popular, but we cannot compromise when it comes to the safety of our children. The evidence is clear that 20 mph speed limits save lives. Many other boroughs make 20 mph speed limits the standard outside schools, and an increasing number are turning to 20 mph speed limits on all residential roads. We’re not suggesting that extreme is right for Bracknell Forest, but we should look at targeted 20 mph zones and other appropriate traffic calming measures where they will help reduce incidents and protect lives.”
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