Primary pupils bring speeding drivers to book

Date published: 06 December 2011

Year 6 pupils joined forces with the police and Bury Council to enforce speed limits and drive home a tough safety message.

They used speed cameras over three mornings near Emmanuel Holcombe, Old Hall and Holcombe Brook primary schools – and 61 drivers were stopped for going too fast.

With the emphasis on education rather than prosecution, drivers stopped by the police were given an unusual choice – take a fixed penalty and points on their licence, or endure three tough questions from the children. Not surprisingly, all 61 took the second option!

The youngsters wanted to know if they realised how fast they were driving and how they would feel if a loved one was harmed by a speeding motorist.

PC Carolyn Morley from Ramsbottom Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “Sometimes a message from a child can be more effective than a message from an authority figure, because it makes us stop and think about what we are doing and how that can affect other people. We hope the drivers realise how lucky they have been and how dangerous speeding is to all road users.”

Drivers were given a leaflet urging them to think carefully about their driving, designed by Ella Tinman from Emmanuel Holcombe primary.

Ted Booker, Bury Council road safety officer, said: “Many drivers said it was a very effective way of encouraging them to change their driving habits. They realised that they would not accept any excuses for speeding from other drivers, and it was clear that the children were not going to accept any excuses either. Once they saw how close the roads were to schools, some drivers looked shocked and left with profound apologies to the children.

“We are very grateful to the schools, the parents and the children for embracing this project. We hope that the children have a heightened awareness of road safety and that the drivers that were stopped are more respectful towards the community areas that they drive through.”