Children are often the victims of road danger.  While having 20mph outside a school is laudable, that immediate area accounts for just 1 in 5 casualties. The school gate is a minor part of the problem. Children need protection of 20mph on the whole of their journey to and from school, whether they are walking, wheeling or cycling. They also need similar protection when going to or from other activities, or going on holiday, or visiting friends, whether inside or outside of a vehicle.  In fact...on pretty much every journey in a city, town or village. 

Introduction

In 2024, 11,337 children under 16 were injured on roads in Great Britain, according to the Department for Transport.  These include 42 killed and 2,357 seriously injured, a number little changed from a decade earlier, the last time the DfT produced a fact sheet on child casualties[1]. This is clearly a serious issue which needs addressing.

The UK Government accepts that slower speeds reduce the number and severity of casualties.

“The relationship between speed and likelihood of collision, as well as severity of injury, is complex, but there is a strong correlation.”[2]

The guidance on setting local speed limits cites safety as a deciding factor and highlights the need for 20mph “around schools”.  Analysing the risk for children walking or cycling to school, using DfT’s own data on road casualties in 2024 shows a wider systemic issue.

Analysis

Of 11,337[3] child casualties in 2024, 6,151 occurred when walking or cycling. Of those, 2,296 were between 8am to 9am or 3pm to 4pm on a weekday. While a child’s journey to or from school can start or finish outside those times, they are unlikely to be near the school gate at that time.

Conclusions:

• Just 2 in 10 child casualties[4] (2,296 out of 11,337 per year) occur when walking or cycling to school.
• The true risk for children “at the school gate” is even lower. The above casualties include those that occur either during the school holidays or on the journey to/from school, but further away from the school.
• 20mph is needed wherever children are, whether or not they are going to/from school.

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/442236/child-casualties-2013-data.pdf

[2] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/setting-local-speed-limits/setting-local-speed-limits

[3] DfT collision analysis tool https://department-for-transport.shinyapps.io/collision_analysis_tool_2024/

[4] Under 16 years old, per DfT