Pupils at Dale Hall Primary are taking action to help improve road safety outside their school
Ipswich: Dozy parkers drive us crazy - pupils take action to improve road safety outside Dale Hall Primary School
BY LIZZIE PARRY
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
1:40 PM
IPSWICH: For years irresponsible motorists have caused chaos outside one Ipswich primary school.
But today the pupils are taking action to ensure the safety of children and the school’s neighbours.
The problems outside Dale Hall Primary School, in Dale Hall Lane came to a head recently when one elderly neighbour reported being verbally abused when she asked a parent not to park on her driveway.
Headteacher Alison Beckett said when she told members of the school council about the incident they were “shocked”.
Parents often stop in the middle of the road to let their children out and cross away from the lollipop crossing, while other drivers park across neighbours’ driveways.
She said: “This has been an ongoing issue but recently it has got out of control.
“We are all concerned, not just for the safety of children crossing but also parents who stop in the middle of the road to drop their children off.
“It’s totally irresponsible.”
Members of the school council got together with the school’s two road safety officers Harley Kirby and Helen Proctor, both 11, to come up with some ideas of how to tackle the issue.
After observing the parking problems for themselves, ten-year-old Emelia Cobbold said: “We decided to send letters out to the neighbours and we invited them to come to our meeting to discuss what’s going on outside.”
Eight-year-old Laura Elliot added: “We thought we would design leaflets to put out on cars parked badly too.”
In a letter to parents the council said: “If this continues your child or children could end up getting hurt or injured.”
Mrs Beckett said the school will continue to monitor the problem and hope parents will start to take note and think before they park.
n What do you think? Are you a parent or neighbour affected by the parking issues? Write to Your Letters, Ipswich Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or you can send an e-mail to starletters @archant.co.uk
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15 comments
I drive my children to this school and I find the issue is simply inconsiderate parking and inconsiderate people. I have a long car but always make sure I leave space for others to park behind me if its there, sometimes I drive up and find one small car sitting in the middle of a space that could fit 3 of mine, also in the mornings there are two times that the different stage children go in, I find that the parents of the children that go in the school the earlier time stand next to their cars chatting afterwards instead of moving on to allow other cars coming to drop off for the later time to park, as for driving to school people have different reasons to to so, many parents I know have to drop off and go straight to work, so walking simply would not be an option.
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livelifelove
Thursday, February 23, 2012
That people will be dropping their kids off at school at about the same time in the morning on their way to work etc is obviously fairly easy to predict. Would it not make sense to have designed a safe area to drop off kids nearby? It's not exactly rocket science is it? All these council 'transport managers', layer upon layer of 'managers' in every school, in every education authority, in every region, costing us a fortune, yet none have been able or bothered to solve the problem. Its easier to just moan and issue a few parking tickets I suppose. It wouldn't cost much to arrange a safe drop off area, where the kids could be dropped off safely and a couple of teachers volunteers lollipopmen to keep the traffic flowing, coral the kids and then escort them across the road if necessary. How hard would it be to get the local 'bobby' to just pop along to any random school in their patch a couple of mornings a week for half an hour at about 8:30am to 'educate' the few selfish ignorant idiot drivers who would inevitably flout the new arrangements.
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bleunos
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Half the problem is caused by the railway bridge which is single lane bridge, the cars have to back up, often past the school or in the opposite direction to the roundabout to take turns to get through.
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shane cartwright
Thursday, February 23, 2012
its the same problem at every school. i do drive to pick mine up but i'd like to point out its due to me working to support our family and not relying on everyone else to do it! i leave work and go straight to school, i dont get a chance to go home first then walk i have to do it on my way home. on that note i also don't park in a rediculous place i finish at 3 so am at the schoolby 5 past in time for finishing at 20 past meaning i park a few roads away from school and walk i would never dream of parking over someones driveway. so could we not all act like all people who drive to pick kids up are ignorant! some of us actually have some sense!
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dhchwh2011
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Give them a parking ticket then they would think twice before blocking the roads outside schools. Or get a wheel clamping firm in.
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Carl
Thursday, February 23, 2012
My children went to Dale Hall Lane in the 80's. I cannot understand why parents cannot walk to school with their children. There was chaos outside the school back then also. People parked anywhere and the road was always congested with school traffic. Sounds like nothing has changed!
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chris
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Its the same in Grange Road Felixstowe.Parents just dont seem to consider the hazard they cause.Are they just to lazy to walk to the school or is it a case of I've got a bigger and better car than you.
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Elise Moreton
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I used to live in Digby Road and I was spoken at rudely by one of the pupils there when they parked across my driveway. When I reported this to the Headmaster, it was just ignored.. They parked outside with radios on nearly an hour before pick up time. Late evenings and early mornings (when schools had trips) they turn in driveways with headlights blaring in bedroom windows and radios full blast, telephoning parents because the pupils have not been picked up. Life was hell living there. No one cared about the residents as long as they picked up their children as near as possible. This is the same as all schools. Why the playground cannot be opened for parents to park and be off the road, I do not know. Claydon High School used to open their playground when I picked my children up and there was none of this annoying residents.
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moaningminnie
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Probably most of these parent drivers would do well to loose some weight and think about walking a bit further. How many times have we all witnessed cars with gym stickers on the windows driven by clinically obese people. Walking is free.
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Sarky Sage
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Simple answer. Double yellow lines outside all schools, and warden to enforce them and stop lazy parents driving their overweight offspring to school. The Council gains income from ignorant parking, the kids keep fit by walking to school, and the local residents don't have to put up with the ignorant and unnecessary parking. Those that live further afield can use the bus, everyone's a winner!
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england1770
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
This is probably the same for every Primary school. Especially Halifax on Prince of Wales Drive. People leave there cars in a daft places.
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Mr DJ
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
most primary schools i have seen have the same problem why dont the traffic police or wardens make randem checks on different schools during drop off and pick up times
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john john
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Perhaps if catchment areas were bought back then parents who actually live in the area could walk their children to their local school! I moved into this area 12 years ago and I couldn't get mine in Dale Hall because of the 'no catchment' rule, hence the traffic problems!
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Friendly Resident
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Not just your school dale hall primary but almost all schools suffer from this type of selfesh parking, it`s a sad lack of respect some parents have towards the rest of the public. Money money is at the heart of the problem as mum`s have to work to afford the car they take there children to school in rather than walking like the 50s & 60s. parents can be very rude believe me and behind the steering wheel brings this out. Andy
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a west
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I think it is awful the number of parents that now drive their children to school. When I was a pupil at this school x number of years ago there were no more than 6 - 10 cars at the school everyday. People wonder why children of today are overweight. If they walked to school that would be a good start.
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Matt
Wednesday, February 22, 2012