Banbury primary school comes together with local councillors to mark national Road Safety Week

As part of national Road Safety Week, local Oxfordshire County Cllrs Eddie Reeves and Kieron Mallon visited Harriers Banbury Academy, and met with school leaders and children to discuss the improvement of road safety and safe parking in this busy part of town.

Cllrs Reeves and Mallon have worked to deliver a range of measures in this part of Banbury to make the area safer for schoolchildren and other pedestrians.

Vehicle activated signs (VAS) have been installed in both directions on both the Bloxham Road and Springfield Avenue to warn motorists that schools are nearby, a 7.5 tonne weight limit has been introduced on nearby roads including Easington Road, St Georges Crescent, Horton View and Springfield Avenue to prevent large vehicles and HGVs using the roads and road markings on Bloxham Road and Harriers View have recently been repainted.

Cllr Reeves, county councillor for the Calthorpe division, said: “It is always a pleasure to visit Harriers Academy. The school rightly takes road safety very seriously and do fantastic work teaching pupils to be safe on the roads. We are pleased with the measures that have been implemented to date, but it is an issue we need to keep on top of.”

Principal Alex Pearson said, “Harriers children have long been taught the importance of road safety. The school's safety council have been busy discussing safe and healthy journeys, where traffic moves at slow speeds and with safe places to cross, walk, cycle and park.

"Children can be leaders for road safety by asking grown-ups to keep them safe near roads. Our STARS Team are a brilliant example of this in action!”

Vice Principal Joanna Agate said: “With PCSO support, the STARS team will be patrolling the neighbourhood with hand-made reminders to park safely, look before crossing, not use phones when driving, and avoid parking on yellow zig zags - such as those just refreshed on Harriers View. We can work together to keep everyone safe.”