Our Active Travel Ambassadors are concerned about the behaviour of some road users in Duffield Road both before and after school. They invited Essex Police to come in and see for themselves the issues faced by students when travelling to school.

Essex Police have kindly taken this up and officers were outside of the school at the start and end of the day on Monday 10th March and Friday 14th March with our ATAs and plan to assist us again in the coming weeks.

PCs Smith and Armstrong visited the school on Monday 10th and today, spending almost an hour before school and half an hour after school assessing the situation in Duffield Road and surrounding areas.

• They commented on the dedication and commitment of the ATAs and how impressed they were with their determination to improve the situation.
• They brought with them a speed camera. Thankfully no-one was speeding, although both the students and police thought that 30 mph is too fast outside a school.
• They noticed how polite and respectful the whole school student community are, engaging with the police officers in a positive, friendly way.
• The driving habits of some parents were noted as dangerous, stopping on the zig-zag lines at the zebra crossing to drop off/pick up their children and then remaining on the zig-zag lines while they cross at the zebra crossing (stopping on the zig-zag lines outside a school can be a £50 fine and points on your licence).
• Some drivers did not pay any attention to students crossing the road.
• Some parents used the school driveway as a turning circle despite it being blatantly dangerous and signs requesting not to.
• After school the parking was madness. Parents parked in bus stops and on corners, making the situation much more dangerous for other road users.
• Some students were cycling to school without helmets, which, whilst not against the law is not advised. Most students cycling to school were doing so in a safe, sensible manner, but there were a few who cycled out of school and didn't look down the road before pulling out. Some students were also cycling on the pavement, which shouldn't happen, but the police appreciate that on a busy road like Duffield Road in the morning, this is the sensible thing to do - but students must be mindful of pedestrians and slow down or dismount when on the pavement. We were also reminded that when it is dark it is a legal requirement for bikes to have front and rear lights on.

We would like to continue working with Essex Police to ensure Duffield Road and the surrounding areas are safer places to travel. Essex police have kindly said they would support us with this. It is their approach to make the roads safer by asking road users to comply with safer driving. It is a last resort to issue penalty fines.

Please keep our roads safer for our children (and keep your money in your bank accounts) by driving responsibly around the school.

Look out for future initiatives from the ATAs to make travelling to and from school healthier and safer.