Take care, get there

SAFETY first... Harriet Williamson and Joshua Crutchley join the Mayor as they learn about road safety

Zebra bid to halt road accidents

COMMUNITIES are being asked where they want zebra crossings placed in a bid to reduce road accidents.

Unity Partnership Road Safety has secured Department of Transport funding to put several crossings in five areas of Oldham where accidents are significantly higher.

Statistics have identified Limeside, Coppice, North-West Oldham, Glodwick and Clarksfield as the areas in most need of action.

Organisers have identified a lack of road safety knowledge for adults in these areas which, in turn, sets a bad example to children.

A road safety project called “Take Care Get There” has now been set up to educate the public and find out which roads need a zebra crossing.

Maps have been delivered to 8,000 houses in three of the areas so far for residents to mark where they would like to see a zebra crossing. There have already been 600 replies.

Unity Partnership Road Safety project co-ordinator Garry Adams said: “We will analyse the results and put the zebra crossings where there’s most need.

“It’s an innovative approach as we’re going to the community rather than sending engineers out to say where they will go. We can’t put them on main roads but we can put them in the community where people might cross to go to school or the shops.

“Once they are built we will educate adults to use them.”

The project wants to reach out to youth groups, children’s centres, women’s groups and social gatherings.

Fun days are being held to attract interest, the latest of which took place at Holy Family Primary School, Limeside. It was supported by Oldham Mayor, Councillor Jim McArdle.

It had a “play safe, stay healthy” theme and featured road safety and cycling lessons, smoothie-making, stories from the library service and old-fashioned games such as hop-scotch, organised by Oldham Play Action Group.

Also in attendance were Oldham Athletic mascot Chaddy the Owl, various scout groups, the Children’s Centre and members of the award-winning Mind Exercise Nutrition Do it (MEND) course.