CHILDREN will be better protected from serious dangers on their journeys to and from school in future.Road safety measures at several Ipswich high schools are on the horizon today, as Suffolk County Council revealed it has £30,000 to spend before March 2005 to help curb the spate of accidents.

CHILDREN will be better protected from serious dangers on their journeys to and from school in future.

Road safety measures at several Ipswich high schools are on the horizon today, as Suffolk County Council revealed it has £30,000 to spend before March 2005 to help curb the spate of accidents.

Officials are gathering data from some of the worst hit schools in the town and over the summer the Ipswich Child Accident strategy team will analyse statistics from all schools in Ipswich that want to be involved. The schools will then be prioritised in order of worst affected and assessed to reach the most appropriate solutions.

Thurleston High School looks likely to be high on the agenda as few other schools have had as many accidents nearby. Work could start there just after Christmas.

Such measures could involve upgrading signs, restricting parking, reducing the speed limits of building speed bumps to slow traffic.

The news will come as some relief to parents after two such accidents already this month.

On Tuesday a 13-year-old boy was involved in an accident with a car on Mallard Way. He was injured as he returned to Chantry High School during the lunch break.

Just 12 days earlier a 14-year-old boy broke his arm in a similar accident outside Thurleston High School in Defoe Road. Pupils had been campaigning to make the road safer before this accident happened.

Head of Thurleston, Mike Everett, said: "A pupil was injured recently when in collision with a car as he ran out into Defoe Road. He is now recovered and back in school.

"Before the accident we had a meeting between some concerned pupils and the county road safety officer Mike Motteram. He agreed to tackle their concerns by considering engineering works on the road to calm the traffic flow and also to begin a program of road safety education in school from September. Since the accident Mr Motteram has confirmed that the actions he agreed are being progressed."

Mr Motteram said: "It is important to get the message of road safety across to the whole community. Drivers should expect to see children out and about after school and should drive more appropriately near them.

"After the review we intend to make sure that the findings are dealt with as quickly as possible."