Reckless drivers a danger to children (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Reckless drivers a danger to children

THOUGHTLESS motorists speeding through a Cotswold village are putting children's lives at risk, according to local youngsters.

Pupils at Kemble Primary School this week wrote to the Standard to highlight the problem of cars hurtling through the village.

Jade Moreman, nine, walks to school every day and uses the pedestrian crossing across the A429. She said she has seen several cars come rushing through the crossing when the lights are red.

She said: "It makes me feel really angry - they normally go through when there is no adult. It makes me scared because they don't stop."

Jade's friend Lily Stalker, 11, said she had also seen cars failing to stop for children at the crossing.

She said: "I normally walk in a big group with my friends and my sister. When we press the button sometimes the cars stop but sometimes they go straight through. It has happened to me and my friends before.

"It makes me scared and upset - I have had to pull my little sister out of the road before when the cars go through. It makes me upset because there are signs and my sister was upset too."

Rachel Jago, nine, said she was scared by the speeding cars. She said: "The fact they go really fast through the village is scary. Sometimes in the winter it is dark and if you are at the crossing they don't see you."

Meanwhile the girls' schoolmate Matthew Pople, 11, has worries about people speeding past the school itself.

He said: "It makes me quite scared at hometime. Everyone is in a rush to get home and people could get hit. I think I would like speed bumps then people would slow down."

John Whittaker, Area Traffic Manager, Gloucestershire County Council said: "The county council is aware of the concerns of parents of pupils at Kemble School and the parish council regarding the behaviour of drivers on the main road, the A429.

"We will be installing an electronic sign, which will be activated when the pedestrian crossing push button is pressed, to add an additional warning to drivers about the presence of the crossing."

However Kemble Parish Council believes more should be done to protect the children.

Isabelle Yates, the parish clerk said: "What the parish council is requesting is a 30mph speed limit on the main road through Kemble. We want the school road reduced down to 20mph because it's the same road to get to the station.

"If the speed is reduced the danger is too."