Safety First

the Vicar writes in the Parish Magazine:

“The Urban Council and the local Education Subcommittee have for some months been agitating for more effective provision in Conisbrough and Denaby for the safety of children.

The police are unable to provide any supervision owing to shortage of staff. The County Council kindly point out that there is provision made for barriers, danger signs, safety crossing and police supervision. There are, we agree, with much gratitude, danger signs erected and barriers in a few places. The argument seems to be that everything necessary is already done; that comparatively few children are killed outside our schools.

That is not very consoling to the children who attend schools situated where the traffic through very narrow streets is a real peril. Station Road schools and Morley place school are danger spots for any child.

Children who cross the decontrolled Doncaster Road to attend school and no “safety crossings” have to dodge traffic which reaches a very high speed. Is it any wonder the parents are protesting? Until some children are maimed for life or killed outright nothing will be done. This in the days of “Safety First.”

All will agree that a ” man in blue” outside at school leaving time is the finest safeguard possible. But staffing difficulties preclude this. That children are not maimed or killed is due in great measure to themselves; it proves that they heed the repeated warnings of their teachers. One hears of schools when it is only necessary to say “roads” at breaking up time and the scholars know the rest.

The Council at its last meeting asked for Doncaster – Sheffield Road again to be restricted, I once wrote that the County Council will speedily acquiesce. If the members unanimously asked for this, surely there are sufficient indication of the necessity as to why Doncaster Road was de-restricted – there are many who desire to know.”

Our correspondent went along the Sheffield – Doncaster Road on Tuesday evening in the rain to get the pedestrian point of view. He saw scores of persons literally wet through from very great splashes from the fast moving cars. That alone is enough to warrant 30 miles an hour once again on this road, and the sooner the better.