Child safety hotline to name and shame killer roads

Parents and residents who fear for their children’s safety on roads are being urged to take action by a local road safety charity.

Brake, which is planning to compile a dossier of dangerous roads in Northern Ireland to deliver to Downing Street, has launched a new hotline called Zebra - 0800 068 7780 - which can be used to name and shame dangerous roads near schools and residential areas where children on foot or bikes are at risk.

Brake said it was calling on the Government to take essential steps to protect children, including introducing 20mph speed limits outside every school, providing funding for more safe crossings and pavements and making road safety education in schools compulsory.

Chief Executive of Brake, Mary Williams, said: “Deaths and injuries of children on our roads devastate families and communities. The death toll on our roads is appalling and not enough is being done to save our children’s lives.

“We want people to report dangerous roads where crashes, injuries or near misses have occurred to help us gather evidence for our Watch Out There’s a Kid About campaign. The Zak Pack empowers people to take action locally, helping them to save lives in their community.”

The Zak the Zebra hotline is part of Brake’s ‘Watch Out There’s a Kid About’ campaign, which aims to reduce the numbers of children killed on Northern Ireland’s roads every year.

(MB/SP)