Ensuring the Safety of Pedestrians Around Schools

With the start of a new school year, it’s the perfect time to reassess how safe the area around your school is for pupils and parents. Walking to and from school should be encouraged, but this can present its own problems in terms of the safety of pedestrians. It’s vital that you’re aware of the potential hazards and how accidents can be avoided by implementing a few simple measures.

Increase Visibility

One of the main reasons accidents happen around schools is because the pedestrians cannot be seen clearly by drivers. By improving the visibility of those walking, you can decrease the risk of an accident occurring. Try to avoid any blind spots, where pedestrians are hidden from view. If necessary, you should re-route the pathways to bypass these areas. You can remove any shrubs or trees that are blocking visibility, and decrease the speed of vehicles in difficult areas. In order to prevent people crossing the roads at these blind spots, you should install barriers to keep them on the pavement.

Separate Drivers and Pedestrians

Schools are extremely busy at the start and end of the day, and this is where the potential for accidents is high. You need to keep cars and pedestrians separated as much as possible to limit the risk. This can be achieved by having different entrances and barrier gates for each and clearly routed paths to prevent pedestrians walking into the road. Crossings need to be positioned where drivers have a clear view of pedestrians, and they should be aware of the rules regarding access and parking. To prevent vehicles entering the school site, you can install controlled barrier gates that should remain closed at all times.

Groups of Children

The pavements leading to a school entrance are particularly busy at key times of the day. This leads to large numbers of people on the paths who might be tempted to walk in the road to get past. If at all possible, it is beneficial to have no access to the street for vehicles at these times. However, this isn’t always achievable. If this is the case, you should consider installing barriers along the pavement to prevent them using the road.

School safety doesn’t just begin when pupils enter the grounds. The areas around the entrances also have the potential for accidents, with younger children especially not always aware of the dangers.