We, the signatories to this petition, are concerned about an extremely dangerous crossing point on a major route to numerous schools. We want facilities to enable pedestrians to cross safely at the junction of Hangingwater Rd., Fulwood Rd and Gladstone Rd. Currently, there are traffic lights for road vehicles at this junction but no provision for pedestrians. The lights change very quickly and the junction is busy. There is no viable alternative to crossing here that doesn't add a significant amount to journey times. 

Numerous children cross over at this junction every school day, including without adult supervision, to access their catchment schools Nether Green Juniors and Nether Green Infants, and also to get to Notre Dame and Saint Marie’s. There is a care home and nursery school in the vicinity as well as a parade of shops that is difficult to access due to the lack of a crossing. Even as an able-bodied person with no additional needs or mobility issues, the level of threat crossing here feels very high and parents report near misses. Unaccompanied children can be seen running across the road trying to avoid cars that come close to them. The speed limit is also still 30 mph here, at which there is a very significant risk of death in the event of a person being knocked over[1].

All this flies in the face of government and local council aims to encourage active travel. Active travel, such as walking and cycling, is associated with health benefits in children and lower death rates from a wide range of causes[2]. It also reduces air pollution, the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK[3]. According to a recent survey, two thirds of drivers were found to believe it “often not safe for children to move around by walking in UK cities because of the threat of traffic.”[4] Sadly, dangerous crossings like this fuel such perceptions, pushing more parents towards car usage.

This crossing should be viewed as a priority for action. It meets criteria for funding quoted to us as including “degree of fear and intimidation”, “major walking and cycling routes”, “impact on local amenities”, “impact on people with disabilities”. We want to avoid a death rather than wait until one has happened. There is ample evidence from around the world and within Sheffield that investing in road safety pays for itself due to the high costs to the community associated with a road casualty[5]..[6]

Finally, Sheffield City Council has one of the worst records in the country for child road deaths measured against other metropolitan areas.[7] It should therefore be making road safety improvements an absolute priority.

 
[1] https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/speed/speed-and-injury

(accessed 10/02/23)
[2] https://heart.bmj.com/content/104/21/1749 (accessed 01/12/22)
[3] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health/air-pollution-applying-all-our-health (accessed 01/12/22)
[4] https://www.brake.org.uk/how-we-help/raising-awareness/our-current-projects/news-and-blogs/traffic-threat-makes-walking-in-cities-unsafe-for-children-say-drivers (accessed 01/01/22)
[5] https://unece.org/sustainable-development/press/financing-road-safety-critically-needed-halve-13-million-annual (accessed 22/02/23)
[6]https://democracy.sheffield.gov.uk/Data/Economic%20and%20Environmental%20Wellbeing%20Scrutiny%20and%20Policy%20Development%20Committee/20080320/Agenda/$1-3%20Traffic%20Accidents%20-%20Young%20People.doc.pdf (page 3, accessed 01/12/22)
[7] https://lginform.local.gov.uk/reports/lgastandard?mod-metric=1016&mod-period=10&mod-area=E08000019&mod-group=AllMetropolitanBoroughLaInCountry_England&mod-type=namedComparisonGroup (accessed 22/02/22)