Hundreds of children in East Yorkshire march to demand safer roads

Hundreds of school kids in East Yorkshire are marching today to demand safer roads - as more than 1 hundred died or were injured on East Ridings roads in 2016.

The national project, led by road charity Brake, is helping youngsters call for key measures to make roads safer.

Latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures1 show that 1,719 children were killed or injured on roads in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2016. On average, nearly five children die or suffer injuries as a result of road crashes every single day. That’s the equivalent of a classroom full every week.

But it's not ALL bad news - as the figures show North Lincolnshire has the fewest number of child road casualties in our area

Short, supervised walks are taking place today and all week at or around schools and nurseries.

Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “It is every child's right to be able to walk in their community without fear of traffic and pollution. But many kids are unable to do so because they don’t have access to simple measures such as footpaths, cycle paths and safe places to cross. Many more have to contend with fast traffic and pollution from vehicle emissions. If we want more children and their families to walk in Yorkshire and the Humberside, then we need to make sure their journeys are safe.