Drivers get a lesson from school children

Drivers caught speeding through a village were taught a valuable lesson – by children from the local school.

Youngsters form Wessington Primary School, who were aged between nine and 11 years, helped police drive home the road safety message by quizzing drivers stopped for speeding outside their school.

It was part of an initiative by officers to target speeding and road safety outside of schools in the local area during start and finish times.

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PCSO Laura McLuckie, who helped to organise the checks, said: “During the checks any vehicles found travelling above the limit were stopped and invited to take questions from the children, who had created their own posters to hand out to drivers as a reminder about road safety.

“Not only have sessions helped youngsters learn about road safety but we hope it will highlight the importance of driving safely in our communities.”

Headteacher Vicki Cousins, of Wessington Primary School, said: “When you stand on the roadside you suddenly realise how dangerously fast 30mph is.

“To then find out that, through the work the children have undertaken with the police, cars can pass at far greater speeds, of up to 51mph, it is extremely worrying.”

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In Wessington, the school is located on the A615, the main route between Matlock and Alfreton.

The team hope to continue the School Speed Watch project with local youngsters over the coming months.

Spot enforcement checks will also be continuing and officers will be working alongside other local agencies to help find longer term solutions.

PCSO McLuckie added: “We had a great response from motorists who found the message quite impactive, and in one instance even brought them to tears.

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“Road safety is something which is often mentioned to us as a concern from local residents and we will continue to target these issues. We hope this initiative will really make drivers think twice about their speeds, particularly when passing primary schools in the area.”

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