Hounslow’s first Junior Roadwatch session took place last month, with pupils helping to bring about the prosecution of an uninsured driver.
Junior Roadwatch sees road safety and police officers work with small groups of children to educate motorists on the importance of road safety and the consequences of speeding.
The first session took place at Edison Primary School – where Hounslow Council says 20mph traffic calming is especially important.
The Year 3 pupils, decked in high-vis jackets, used a high-tech speed gun to detect motorists travelling at excessive speeds.
Police officers then ran checks to make sure there were no other issues with the vehicle or driver – with one offender found to be driving without insurance.
The five other drivers caught speeding were provided with a choice; receive a ticket and three penalty points on their licence – or talk to the pupils.
The children took the offenders to task, asking them questions ranging from ‘Were you wearing a seatbelt?’ to ‘Could you tell me what you thought the speed limit was?’.
Cllr Hanif Khan, cabinet member for transport at Hounslow Council, said: “This is a brilliant way to bring attention to speeding restrictions within the borough, particularly outside or near schools where 20mph is now the usual limit.
“It’s a great example of paving the way for children becoming more responsible for their actions and helping them become more responsible when they learn to drive.
“I understand all the speeding motorists – bar the one facing prosecution – were very apologetic to the seven-year-olds, promising to take better care on the road and be mindful of the growing number of 20mph zones in Hounslow and London as a whole.”
Hounslow Council will be talking to schools across the borough over the next academic year to see if they would like to take part in the Junior Roadwatch scheme.
So far, a number of schools have expressed an interest, with sessions already in the pipeline for Westbrook Primary, Isleworth Town and Chiswick School.
03 October 2019