Basildon primary school pupils question speeding drivers

This was just one of the tough questions asked of speeding motorists caught hurtling down a road outside a Basildon school by its year five pupils.

Pupils at Vange Primary and Nursery School took part in national Road Safety Week when they joined forces with the Safer Essex Roads Partnership to tackle speeding motorists outside their school in London Road.

With the help of a roads policing officer, the pupils soon made a significant stop when they halted a speeding, uninsured driver who had only been driving for 18 months.

In total the pupils, all aged between 9 and 10 years old, stopped nine speeding cars, with a top speed of 43 miles per hour outside their school.

All drivers agreed to take part in a Q&A session, where the pupils asked them if they were aware of the dangers of speeding and the consequences of speeding, highlighting their concerns for the safety of pupils and teachers in the London Road area. 

Crackdown - the roads policing officer in London Road (Image: Essex Police)

Claire Stone, road safety technician from the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, who organised the road safety event, said: “As part of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, our absolute priority is road safety  - we’re here to educate the drivers that speeding kills. 

“When questioned by the pupils, most adults responded that they weren’t aware they had been speeding. 

“Speeds can creep up if you’re not paying attention, so we’re asking drivers to pay particular attention to their speeds, especially in the vicinity of schools where children are walking.

“A number of people spoke of their concerns to our partners Basildon’s Enforcement Officers, adding that School Speedwatch was a welcome addition to keep everyone safe. 

The questions pupils asked (Image: Essex Police)

“During the morning, they spoke to a small number of drivers who had committed offences and to prevent parking on zig-zag and yellow lines and deter pavement parking, blocking pedestrian access to the school, putting pedestrians at risk of serious harm.

“It’s imperative that drivers drive with extra care in the vicinity of any school to reduce the risk of harm, or worse, to other road users.”

The school speedwatch on Thursday, November 23, took place as part of a week-long campaign aimed to get the public talking about the dangerous issue of speeding on Essex roads.

At the conclusion of each stop, all drivers agreed to sign the Vision Zero pledge.

Vision Zero is Essex Police's ambition to have no roads deaths by 2040 or sooner and the Vision Zero pledge reminds drivers to be careful and considerate, and to drive within the posted speed limit or more slowly, to allow for unforeseen risks, in the future.