Exning's parents urge action on crossing safety

Parents are calling for action to improve safety outside a village school where they fear a child could be knocked over on a pedestrian crossing.

Numerous posts on Exning’s community Facebook page tell of ‘near misses’ when drivers have failed to stop at the crossing immediately outside the village primary school in Oxford Street where there is an advisory 20mph speed limit and painted ‘Slow’ signs on the road surface.

A recent survey recorded vehicles travelling past the school at speeds of up to 44mph and mothers have told hair-raising stories of cars and vans ‘screeching’ to a stop inches from children crossing the road.

“An accident is inevitable,” said one mother whose post received more than 160 comments, the majority demanding urgent action.

The village’s district councillor Simon Cole has had the matter added to the agenda for this month’s meeting of the parish council, of which he is also a member. He will ask fellow councillors to support his proposal that they refer parents’ concerns to Suffolk County Council and ask them to look at how safety might be improved.

“My own view is that a push-button crossing with lights and railings both sides might be the best answer,” said Cllr Cole.

“Children are used to pushing the button and waiting for the green man before crossing and it means drivers know they have to stop and wait. Plus parents and children then cross in groups rather than in ones and twos. But I’m not an expert and it needs a proper study to decide the best course of action,” added Cllr Cole, who had a narrow escape himself when crossing the road holding the hand of his six-year-old son.

“A car whizzed past missing us by inches,” he said.