Safety chiefs target accident blackspots

OLDHAM has been revealed as a blackspot for children being killed or seriously injured on roads, according to official figures.

Last year, 22 children were killed or seriously injured (KSI) on roads across the borough, compared with 19 the previous year.

It is the second highest figure in Greater Manchester, with Manchester ranked top with 33 incidents. Neighbouring Rochdale saw seven incidents, with 10 in Tameside, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).

However, the figure has fallen sharply this year, with eight youngsters killed or seriously injured so far.

There was also an increase from 77 for all KSIs to 79 in 2007 in Oldham. While accidents involving children are rising, the number of casualties overall across the borough has fallen by 16 per cent, from 1,052 in 2006 to 882 last year.

More than 60 per cent of child pedestrian accidents occur on weekdays between 3 and 7pm, leading to the setting up of the 3-7 project aimed at raising awareness and slashing the number of casualties during those times.

An Oldham council spokesman said: “This year to date there have been eight children killed or seriously injured as opposed to 22 for all of last year. The council bid for extra money from the DfT and received £300,000, the fifth highest award in the country, which was used for the 3-7 project.”

Oldham Council’s partner Unity Road Safety team has launched a range of education initiatives to target collision spots across the borough. Measures include a hard-hitting road safety play for secondary school pupils by the Peshkar Theatre Company, children’s centres educating children, parents and carers, the Groundwork Trust consulting with residents and Age Concern targeting grandparents and carers.

A DfT spokesperson said: “We’ve cut the number of people killed or seriously injured each year by more than a third since the mid-1990s — that means almost 17,000 fewer deaths or serious injuries on our roads. In 2007, the number of people killed on our roads fell below 3,000 for the first time since records began in 1926.

“These figures make us determined to do even more.”