Child death highlights safety issue (From Watford Observer)

Child death highlights safety issue

THE accident which killed Ryan Moorhead has thrown a long-running campaign for traffic safety measures back into the spotlight.

Parents say Watford Council had been warned of the dangers at the junction where the three-year-old was killed.

For 18 months parents had been campaigning for traffic calming measures at the junction of Vicarage Road and Rose Gardens, but nothing was done by the council.

A petition of 500 signatures had been sent to the local authority by parents of Laurance Haines School 18 months ago, after two near-misses involving children.

Miss Lorraine Hozier was the parent who organised the petition and whose son witnessed the fatal accident.

She said "When my son told me he'd seen the accident in which a child was dead, I was absolutely shocked.

"It was a tragic accident but it was one that was waiting to happen and which could have been avoided.

"The pavement is much too narrow along there and either parents or children are always being pushed into the road.

"When I went to the council and presented the petition, they promised some action would be taken.

"Someone from the council came to the school and said changes would be made, that was two years ago and nothing has been done.

"It feels like we are being ignored.

"They said there is no money for the work but what about all the work that is being done in the town centre?

"I do not want to get into the politics of all this, all I want is that no more lives are lost on that piece of road.

"We are not asking for £1000s, just some measures to stop anyone else being hurt."

The parents have suggested three basic safety improvements which could be made near the school. They are, more signs to let drivers know the school entrance is there; greater parking facilities for parents picking up children from the school and widening the pavement so that children and parents are not forced on to the road at busy times.

Ryan's family have joined the call for action to avert further tragedy.

The three-year-old's grandfather, Mr Robert Moorhead, said: "There is not enough room for the children along Vicarage Road when the schools come out.

"Nothing is going to bring Ryan back, but at least they could make changes now to protect other children."

The Laurance Haines School governing body has been campaigning for more than three years to have speed reductions put in place on that section of Vicarage Road.

The body's chairman Mr Michael Clarke said: "We do not want to suggest that any traffic calming measures would have prevented what happened.

"But the point is that we have campaigned for three and a half years for road safety measures and nothing has been done.

"Now it is important to look to see if there are any other measure that can be done to prevent this happening again."

Planned safety measures on Vicarage Road are to be discussed at a meeting of Watford Council's planning and highway committee on Thursday, September 24.

After a meeting between Mr Clarke and council officers this week ammendments to make the pavement safer for parants and pupils are to be added to to these plans.

A statement from the council said this week: "This was a tragic accident and our thoughts are with Ryan's family, friends and everyone at Laurance Haines School.

"Our deepest sympathy goes to his family.

"The tragedy highlights issues around safety at schools in general and is particularly poignant at a time when the council is working towards a safer Watford.

"Our priority is to work with parents, teachers and school governers to address the wider issue of safety around the town's schools and how schemes which operate both in this country and in Europe may help us to make getting to and from school safer for all children."

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