For drivers

Kill your speed: What you can do

In 2010, 32 child pedestrians were injured in Calderdale. Most of these accidents were on quiet residential roads near where children live. Remember, children are unpredictable and often run out across the road. You might be keeping to the speed limit by driving at 30mph, but how would you feel if you knocked down and injured, or even killed a child?

What can drivers do?

Drive slowly on residential roads: No more than 20mph where roads are narrow and parked vehicles can hide children.
Slow down when you see children: Remember they are unpredictable. Slow down near schools, buses and ice-cream vans.
Look out for children at zebra or pelican crossings and at junctions and be prepared to stop.
Always stop for the School Crossing Patrol and do not move off until the patrol is back on the pavement.

The most important message to get across to drivers is "Kill Your Speed". Speeding needs to become as socially unacceptable as drink driving has become.

Kill your speed, or live with it. Think! - It's 30 for a reason.
Keep to the speed limit and slow down.
If you kill a child while speeding you will have to live with the long-term emotional consequences, which could destroy your life.
Speed limits are there for a reason.

Keeping strictly to the speed limit may be as unsafe as breaking it. You wouldn't drive at 70mph on a motorway in fog or wet or icy conditions or at 30mph on a residential street where children are about. So drive at a speed to suit the conditions. Slowing down makes a crash less likely and if one does happen, your chances of survival will be greater.

Slow down

The number of road accidents can be cut just by reducing the speed at which we drive. Every time you get in your car, think about the speed at which you drive. Make a conscious effort to ease off the accelerator just that little bit and keep within the speed limit. Just a few miles per hour less could save a life - it could be your own!