'Switch off your car engines' – Urgent safety plea made to parents on school drop-offs
Parents are being asked to slow down and turn off their engines in a council initiative to reduce their carbon footprint and improve safety.
As children prepare to return to the classroom, Dudley Council is asking parents to take measures to keep children safer on the roads and reduce their carbon footprint on school runs.
More than 60 per cent of Dudley borough schools have a 20mph scheme, with many others having traffic calming measures in place.
In addition to implementing 20mph speed limits in over 60 per cent of Dudley's school zones, Dudley Council is also undertaking an anti-idling campaign, encouraging parents to switch off their car engines when pulling in or dropping off children.
Councillor Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: "We want to keep children as safe as possible when travelling to school and we are always encouraging families to walk, cycle or scoot whenever it is possible.
"The Safer School Zones are being delivered through the council’s Safer Routes to School programme, which works towards our policy to provide a safe school zone with a mandatory or advisory 20mph speed limit around every school in the borough.
"As Safe School Zones typically encourage motorists to slow down, the measures are also helping to reduce emissions in the localities."
The local authority identified seven areas where idling commonly takes place and has installed signage to remind people of the issues caused by the practice.
Councillor Dr Rob Clinton, cabinet member for climate change, said: "Idling is where motorists unnecessarily leave car engines running, increasing the amount of exhaust fumes in the air, and wasting gas.
"We are reminding parents and grandparents of the huge difference they can make to help reduce pollution near their child’s school simply by slowing down and making sure they turn off their engines when they are not moving."
People can find out more about the Safe School Zones on the Dudley Council website dudley.gov.uk/residents/parking-and-roads/travel-and-transport/local-transport-policy/traffic-consultations/
