Motorists caught exceeding the limit outside primary schools across Northern Ireland are being offered a stark choice: accept points and a fine, or face a panel of pupils inside the classroom. The Kids' Court road safety initiative, launched in 2017, seeks to change driving behaviour near schools.

With sessions running across Northern Ireland since mid-March, the court convened at Artigarvan Primary School on Wednesday 25 March. Over roughly half an hour, nine drivers entering the village on Berryhill Road were asked to explain why they had exceeded the 30mph limit.

Paying tribute to pupils and staff, Superintendent John Wilson said the focus was on changing driver behaviour. "As part of our commitment to road safety, we are continually working with schools throughout Northern Ireland to educate pupils about road safety and raise awareness," said Superintendent Wilson. "Through this initiative, now the pupils are educating drivers who speed outside their school about the potential consequences of speeding which is one of the Fatal Five, the main reasons people are dying on our roads, and why they must slow down.

He continued: "To date to this, in Northern Ireland 19 people have died on our roads, which is devastating. It's about making our roads safer for everyone who uses them - children and adults and whether they are pedestrians, cyclists or motorists.

"Having drivers come into the school, meeting pupils face-to-face asking uncomfortable questions, personalises the message about road safety. It brings it home in a very powerful way that drivers must slow down, drive appropriate to the road conditions and never exceed the posted speed limit.

"Doing this can help save lives and our aim through Kids' Court is to change the mind set and attitudes about speeding. Speeding is not a low level crime. It's dangerous because with speed there are no second chances and lives can be lost. " Acting Principal Rachel Kane said she believed the event would make a difference. "This event has had a huge impact on the children," said Principal Kane. "We also saw the impact it had on the drivers, emotionally. Hopefully, awareness will spread and people will slow down, take care and be patient to keep the children at our school safe."

Artigarvan Primary School Board of Governors member Ethna Wiley said speeding was a local concern. Speaking after observing the session, she said: "Our school is situated on a very busy road, and speeding is an issue, as we saw from the people who attended Kids' Court today.

"It's about the safety of the children and, if it makes people slow down passing our school, it is well worth it," said Ethna. "It really brings it home that the children are aware of the speed limit outside the school and what that means and, hopefully, when they are drivers themselves they'll adhere to the speed limit too. "

Chair of Derry and Strabane Policing and Community Safety Partnership, Alderman Keith Kerrigan, said community concern about speeding outside schools was clear. "Speeding outside schools is something our communities feel very strongly about, and the Kids' Court event at Artigarvan Primary School brought that message home in a really powerful way.

"When a driver has to sit before a panel of children and explain why they were speeding past their school gates, it creates an impact that no fixed penalty notice ever could. Children have every right to feel safe in and around their school, and it is entirely unacceptable that speeding puts that safety at risk.

"Road safety has consistently been raised as a top priority by residents across Derry and Strabane, and initiatives like the Kids' Court show we are committed to tackling this issue in creative and effective ways. I want to thank all the pupils involved for their courage and their questions - they were a credit to their school - and I would encourage every driver to reflect on their behaviour behind the wheel, particularly near schools and in residential areas."