Traffic threat makes walking in Cities unsafe for children

ROAD safety campaigners are calling for the transformation of UK City streets as a report reveals that drivers do not think that it is safe for children to walk around because of the threat of traffic and that they support prioritising walking and cycling in urban areas.

The report, by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line and based on a survey of 1,000 drivers, found that 33% think that it is often not safe for children to move around by walking in UK Cities because of the threat of traffic. The findings also highlighted concern over the safety of cyclists, with 70% of drivers stating that it is often not safe to move around UK Cities by cycling because of the traffic threat.

Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are the most vulnerable road users with the safety concerns highlighted by drivers borne out by statistics. The latest Government figures show that the number of child pedestrians (age 15 and under) killed in 2018 increased by 27% on the previous year (from 22 to 28), and that there were 1,276 child pedestrian serious injuries over the same period; that's an average of more than 3 every day. Cyclist deaths and serious injuries have increased by 29% from 2008 to 2018 to a total of 3,802, broadly following the increase in cycling traffic of 17% over the same period but meaning that, on average, 10 cyclists are killed or seriously injured on British roads every day.

Drivers have appeared to acknowledge the need to take action to reduce the risk to vulnerable road users, with 46% stating that walking and cycling should be given greatest priority when moving around on UK City streets, compared to just 15% of drivers who think the priority should be given to personal motorised vehicles (cars, vans, motorcycles) - when asked where the priority currently lies, 40% thought personal motorised vehicles with 23% choosing walking and cycling.

Brake, the road safety charity, is emphasising the support from drivers to call for the transformation of urban transport, enabling people to move around Cities in safe and healthy ways with priority given to getting around by bicycle or on foot. The safety campaigners want to see significantly increased investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, safer default speed limits (20mph in urban areas), and public transport made more accessible and affordable with the stated goal of making Cities for people, not for vehicles.

Commenting, Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said:- "Walking to and from School or a friend's house should be a natural, and safe, part of growing up and so it's hugely concerning that drivers think children walking are at risk due to the threat posed by traffic in Cities. We should all be free to move around in safe and healthy ways, whether on foot or by bike, but the dominance of motor traffic is preventing us from doing so. It's time to transform our urban areas into places for people, not for vehicles, and it's great to see that drivers themselves support this move. More and safer routes for people walking and cycling alongside slower vehicle speeds are vital to help make our Cities more safe and healthy places to be; we need Cities for people, not Cities for vehicles."

Steve Barrett, head of Direct Line Car insurance, commented:- "While much has been done to improve the safety of vehicles and develop infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians in Cities, people are still needlessly being seriously injured and killed. Urban areas still need to evolve to enable everyone to travel to their destination safely. Despite the steps that have already been made in developing multi transport infrastructures and layouts in urban areas, still more needs to be done to ensure whichever form of transport someone chooses to use whether car, public transport, cycle or by foot they can do so safely, affordably and efficiently."

Lilli Matson, Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer at Transport for London, said:- "Children should be safe to enjoy their streets, encouraging them to play, walk and cycle. London's streets account for 80% of the City's public space, yet too often they are dominated by traffic. This is why we're focusing on our Vision Zero approach to eliminate death and serious injuries on our roads and transforming streets in line with the Healthy Streets Approach; making them pleasant, safe and attractive places."

In School effort to end North West Teacher crisis

A REVOLUTIONARY new initiative is being launched in the classroom to ease the chronic shortage of Teachers in Schools in the North West of England. Schools are facing a growing crisis to attract and retain staff, with a potential shortage of 50,000 Teachers in England in the next 5 years, that's equivalent to 14 Teachers needed for each Secondary School.

The North West could be in need of over 6,000 Teachers in 5 years' time. Knowsley, Sefton and Blackburn with Darwen are 3 of the worst places for falling Teacher numbers, while Manchester is facing huge rises in pupil numbers. These areas could benefit from a new national scheme called Tomorrow's Teachers which will help Schools identify possible future Teachers among their own pupils and help nurture and train them to join the profession. Pupils will be guided through a structured course that introduces them to teaching and allows them to gain relevant skills and experience back at their old School.

The programme; launched by Tes, the education company serving millions of Teachers and publisher of Tes magazine; aims to help recruit more 'home grown' talent into teaching and support Regions that find it particularly hard to recruit.  Award winning Tes New Teacher of the Year Abed Ahmed, from Birmingham, said:- "I always wanted to work at the School I attended as a pupil so I could give back to my old Teachers and my local community. I felt I had an advantage also going back as it would help me to relate to the pupils better. I acted as a real role model for those pupils. They knew I was the same as them, this was the most important thing."

Latest figures show a worrying trend of a lack of Teachers. In 2017, 43,000 left the profession, that's 10% of those in the state sector, a rate that has been fairly static for the last 5 years. Over 20% of new Teachers leave the profession within their 1st 2 years of joining and 33% leave within their 1st 5 years. Meanwhile, the number of secondary pupils is expected to climb from 3,191,780 in 2016 to 3,838,700 by 2024, an increase of over 20%. This means that to stay in line with the average pupil to Teacher ratio since 2005 (15.1 students per Teacher), the number of Secondary School Teachers will have to rocket by 47,000, from 208,100 in 2016 to 254,822 by 2024; an increase of 22.5%. This has engaged 15 'founding partner Schools' from all corners of the UK to help inform the development and feasibility of the programme. These include:- Passmores Academy and Harlow College in Essex, The Cabot Learning Federation in Bristol and The Education Alliance in Yorkshire.

Lord Jim Knight, Chief Education and External Officer at Tes said:- "The shortage of Teachers could have devastating consequences for the next generation's education. If every School in the country spotted a potential Teacher from its student cohort each year, and then gave them the practical skills and support to get them on that career path, it could have a very positive impact."

Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Education said:- "If we don't take action, the Teacher recruitment crisis we're facing will only get worse. I welcome anything we can do to encourage more young people to consider a career in teaching and hope students are inspired by Tomorrow's Teachers to find out more about this rewarding vocation."

The worst hit areas for Teacher shortages predicted by 2024:-

► London - short of 7,617.

► South East England - short of 7,534.

► North West England - short of 6,181.

► East of England - short of 5,353.

► West Midlands - short of 5,157.

► South West England - short of 4,487.

► Yorkshire and The Humber - short of 4,511.

► East Midlands - short of 3,952.

► North East England - short of 2,210.

Merseyrail launches brand new WhatsApp customer service channel

MERSEYRAIL has launched a new WhatsApp service for passengers as part of its commitment to real time customer service. This additional channel is part of a growing number of ways for passengers to get in touch, utilising the channel that is easiest for them, and WhatsApp will provide more immediate 1 to 1 solutions on the most popular messaging service in the world. Whether it is a question or comment about the current regular train service, ticket enquiries, accessibility or any feedback about your journey with us, messaging the company on WhatsApp will be the quickest way of getting the information you need. Passengers wanting to use the WhatsApp feature can send a message to:- 0151 555 1111, between 06:00 and 23:00 Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 18:00, on Sundays. Queries can also be sent via Twitter. Suzanne Grant, Commercial Director at Merseyrail, said:- "We are going through a period of modernisation and transformation with the introduction of new state of the art trains and smart ticketing initiatives, so it makes sense to offer a more instant customer service tool to our passengers. WhatsApp is an incredibly popular service and we are thrilled to be able to offer this as a support channel to anyone using or wishing to use the Merseyrail network as part of our commitment to customer experience."

Did you know? There are 1.5 billion WhatsApp users in 180 countries across the world, with 65 billion messages sent every day.

Dogs Trust launches public study to find out how people choose their pooches

WE may be a nation of dog lovers, but very little is known about the journey people go on when deciding which pooch is their perfect match. That is why Dogs Trust is asking dog owners and potential dog owners to take part in its:- 'Choosing My Dog' survey, which will reveal all about how and why dog owners pick their 4 legged friends. The unique study will delve into everything from how potential dog owners decide on a breed to where they get their dog from, helping the charity to understand buyer behaviour. By learning more, Dogs Trust aims to advise potential future dog owners and help them to avoid dodgy dealers. Take part in the Choosing My Dog Study by visiting:- DogsTrust.Org.UK. Choosing My Dog project lead Rebecca Mead said:- "Although many people buy dogs each year, hardly anything is known about how and why we reach those decisions. It is important to remember that, sadly, not all breeders can be trusted, so there is a real need to understand how people are choosing their dog so that we can better support buyers and safeguard dog welfare."