Little Keisha's lucky escape sparks calls to make road safer
A DERBY mum says her six-year-old daughter was lucky to escape serious injury or even death in a collision with a car outside her Sinfin school.
The incident happened as parents from Grampian Primary School campaign to get more traffic-calming measures in the area.
Keisha Marie Smith was leaving the school with mum Barbara Hall when she dashed out between parked cars.
She was hit by a car and went flying over its bonnet but emerged unscathed.
There are no zig-zag lines warning drivers not to park outside the school and no safe crossing area – which parents are demanding.
Mrs Hall said: "I can't believe she wasn't injured or even killed.
"This was the latest in a number of incidents involving cars, cyclists and children outside the school because traffic speeds so much and there is nowhere to cross.
"We have been campaigning to get a crossing, but nothing ever seems to happen."
Parents have previously handed a petition to Derby City Council asking for a crossing or crossing patrol warden.
The school has also drawn up a travel plan which highlights the need for zig-zag lines on Grampian Way outside the school, signs advertising the school's presence and a metal guard rail to prevent children dashing out into the road.
The city council has told parents and the school it cannot afford to provide any of these safety measures.
There is a nearby underpass but many parents do not use it as it is frequently flooded and in a poor state of repair.
Head teacher Chris Perkins said: "It's curious that the school has none of the usual traffic-calming measures that other schools seem to have.
"I can understand why parents won't use the underpass. It is in an appalling state, full of used needles and glass.
"I am amazed Keisha was unscathed but we need to get something done before anything worse happens.
"We have been working on a travel plan and hopefully some money will be available to get things improved."
If the school is able to get money for its travel plan, it will be unable to do anything with it to improve the road outside the school.
The money would have to be used to alter paths or create a pedestrian shelter at the school.
But Stan Werbinski, of the city council's road-safety unit, said he was hopeful that other money could be found to improve road safety in the area.
He said: "We have to get the travel plan approved by the Government and then the Safer Routes to School forum will look at what issues need resolving.
"We did look at having a school crossing patrol person but the road did not meet the criterion for having one.
"Although we don't have money yet, we are aware of the problems in the area of the school and will look at how to resolve them."
8 Comments
by mark from sinfin, sinfin
Tuesday, March 16 2010, 11:10AM
“Im sure you cant get a better crossing to stop you getting hit than a subway under the road! but god forbid anyone would walk 50yards to use it.
sinfin is an absolute disgrace to get in and out off for an area of its size there are only country roads that restrict you to oneway traffic and sinfin lane grampian way,”
by Reg, Sinfin
Monday, March 15 2010, 2:46PM
“Parent error, there is a subway all parents and children can use no more than 30 yards from where this accident occured.”
by Granny Weatherwax, Derby
Monday, March 15 2010, 1:31PM
“The only way to stop parents from parking inconsiderately is to inconvenience them when they do.
I used to live on a cul-de-sac with a school at the end. At chucking out time you couldn't get near the road. And I was frequently late for work in the mornings when parents parked across my driveway.
No amount of badgering by the kids or the school had any effect - they obviously had no idea how busy and important these parents were.
In the end we residents started a campaign of blocking the road to stop the parents getting back out. Made them furious but they got the message.”
by burtonftw, derby
Monday, March 15 2010, 12:58PM
“personally i think school parking should be banned fullstop. get double yellows down for at least 500m of any entrance and give lollipop people the power to issue fines to those who don't comply.”
by Jason, Derby
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:45AM
“I have to say that i am a lttle confused by this story. Whilst i fully support the need to have safety measures installed to prevent such accidents, am i right in thinking that speed was not the factor in this instance as surely the little girl would have been injured or even killed if the diver had been speeding.
Secondly, it is the parents responsibilty not to park near a school entrance.
And finally why is a liitle girl running between a parked car anyway?
Whilst i fully endorse safety measures and it is clear that they are needed, we have to take responsibilty for our own actions and feel in this case people haven't.
I am sorry but the truth hurts and thankfully not this little girl.”
by Steve, Sinfin
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:45AM
“I drive past that school when the kids are comming out and the parking of the parents is distgusting, never ind double parking but also parking at hatched areas which I thought was illegal. Does the school do anything to discourage it - NO!, personally the school should take some of the blame here.”
by fhfyfhd, Derby
Monday, March 15 2010, 11:20AM
“Obviously it's a relief this lttle girl wasn't injured but I do wonder what happened to parental responsiblity. She dashed out between 2 parked cars - is the green cross code not taught any more? - teaching your children to cross safely and not to run in the road.Also, I suspect many of the cars parked outside the school are parent's cars??. Zig zag lines or not doesn't seem to make much difference as the story about parents parking inconsiderately outside alvaston school shows. There seems to be an element of everyone else being in the wrong regrading the parents wanting traffic calming. I am not sure the parents can try and force the council to introduce various restrictions without getting their own house in order first - you don't need zip zag lines - you all just decide between yourselves you aren't going to park there....”
by Lucy, Derby
Monday, March 15 2010, 10:51AM
“I am sorry that this little girl was hit by a car however I do think most of the responsibility for this accident should lie in the shoulders of the child and the parent. The girl dashed out between two parked cars. She was not waiting to cross, the driver probably wasn't speeding, she just ran into the road. I would imagine that no traffic calming measures would not have prevented this accident. Maybe children should be taught the dangers of running into the road and the green cross code.”