YOUNGSTERS have come up with a colourful and eye-catching way of reminding drivers to watch their speed and one generous councillor has helped fund their work out of his own pocket.
The Mill Primary School, in Ifield, has teamed up with West Sussex County Council’s road safety team and Ifield Cllr Chris Oxlade to produce a set of posters emblazoned with safety messages.
Six of the pictures will be made into large posters that will be hung on lampposts in Hyde Drive and the Safer Routes to School team has been working with the school to encourage more pupils to walk to school.
Cllr Oxlade said: “Some residents of Ifield West approached me with worries about the safety of Hyde Drive so I took it to the officers of the council to see if there was anything we could do about the speed of traffic in the area.
“I spoke to Bev Clayden who was incredibly helpful and we decided to get the children involved and to get some posters designed. There was no budget for them so I have paid for them.
“We had a huge response from The Mill who made some fantastic posters. It was very hard to choose which ones to use – the quality was amazing and the creativity of the young people. They have totally grasped the problems we have with speed along Hyde Drive.
“The posters will be up for as long as they are needed and we could look into doing some new ones next year.”
Bev Clayden, from the Safer Routes to School team, said: “The children’s artwork was fantastic and it was very difficult for the judges to pick six winners. Some of the runners-up artwork will be hung in local shops to ensure the message reaches all members of the community.”
Cllr Oxlade added: “We need people to slow down along Hyde Drive. It’s a long road and a lot of school buses drop off along there and a lot of kids walk along there. Their safety is our first concern.”