Roads and transport Road safety

Ideas to share and try

Get involved

There are some great schemes and projects being run by schools, communities and other organisations across Manchester to improve road safety. The school is the hub of any community, and so is well placed to instigate ideas and raise awareness of road safety issues for pupils, staff and parents, and for local residents too:

  • Road Safety Week takes place each November, coordinated by road safety charity, Brake. Get involved in the national campaign to reinforce your local messages.
  • Area-based school Action Days: we've been working with a number of primary schools across the city, on a series of road safety themed Action Days. Alongside GMP and Parking Services, we spend an afternoon at each school to raise awareness of road safety issues among pupils and staff, parents and neighbours. Pupils take on the role of Junior PCSO and work with Officers to identify potential problems, and suggest solutions.
  • Parking charters: Aimed at parents to manage parking around the school. Parents are asked to sign a school 'charter', that identifies preferred parking locations, puts the agreement in writing, and gives car stickers to all who sign up.
  • Car-sharing schemes: Can help reduce the volume of traffic outside the school by encouraging parents that drive to coordinate between themselves to share the responsibility, taking turns to drop off their children.
  • Traffic Awareness Weeks: we helped one south Manchester primary to arrange a week of activities, which has led to them introducing a voluntary one-way system that’s helping reduce the impact of school run parking on the local community.
  • Want to tell us about a great idea that's worked at your school? Send us an email to road.safety@manchester.gov.uk and tell us about what you did.

For inspiration about what you could do in your area, watch these short films:

Councillor Angeliki Stogia on road safety

Executive Member for Environment, Planning and Transport, Angeliki Stogia discusses how important it is to teach our children about road safety, and encourages everyone to get cycling or walking to school.

Please accept marketing-cookies to watch this video.

See a transcript of Cllr Stogia's interview

Park and stride - Broadoak Primary School

In partnership with the charity Living Streets, this school negotiated to use a local tennis centre’s carpark for the school run drop off, and – having bought hi-vis vests for the children, now offers parents a ‘park and stride’ service to get their children to and from school each day. The benefits have been many: the traffic congestion is considerably less, it’s a safer option for parents, dropping the children of at a better location away from the busy junction, the children arrive on time and having had a little exercise away from the busy roads. Many parents also help with the walk, which in turn strengthens the local community.

Phil Hardy talks about BikeRight!

There are many benefits to children cycling to school. Watch this short film about the bikeability training that is available to schools across the city through the organisation Bikeright! We speak to Phil Hardy about this cycle safety programme, which helps us to deliver cycle safety skills to children and make sure they're equipped with the skills to commute safely.

Please accept marketing-cookies to watch this video.

See a transcript of Phil's interview.

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