Calls for default 20mph roads in Whitby to make it safer for schoolchildren
North Yorkshire Council are meeting today about a new speed management strategy
Campaigners in Whitby are concerned some roads in Whitby are not fit for purpose and a default 20 miles per hour is needed.
It is thought a lack of pedestrian crossings on carriageways like Mayfield Road can be dangerous, especially for schoolchildren.
Caedmon College is next to that road and there are safety concerns as there will be a rise in the number of kids going to and from the school due to the future amalgation with Eskdale.
Andy Jefferson is from Whitby Community Network and is a campaigner for the town's 20s plenty group, he said: "We approached Whitby Town Council subsequent to conversations with parents of kids coming to the local school here and they were keen on having reduced speed limits because of the danger to their kids walking alongside these roads every day.
"Back in February on this road just down there was a lady in her 70s who got knocked down by a vehicle with serious injuries. The cost to the economy of these injuries is vast; a serious injury you're talking ÂŁ200,000, a death ÂŁ1.5 million and the cost of implementing default 20 is miniscule.
"This road is probably the busiest road in Whitby. Traffic is coming in from one side from Teesside, the other side from Scarborough, so you're getting all the holiday traffic and you're getting all the school traffic. The school here doesn't have any way for busses to go into the school so they're having to park on the carriageway.
"The overall health benefits of having an environment that's more pedestrian and cycle friendly is vast for the NHS. We have an NHS where you basically can't get appointments. If we can get the population more healthy, it would make a huge difference to the health of the nation."