Children think too many motorists drive too fast near schools

Three-quarters of children questioned said they wanted more speed cameras.

About 70% thought drivers should go slower near their school, with almost as many wanting drivers to slow down near their house.

Half of the 1,500 children surveyed wanted safer places to cross the road.

The findings of the survey of children aged 7-14 in city schools by road safety charity Brake were released to coincide with the annual Road Safety Week.

CHILDREN AND TRAFFIC FEAR 75% want more speed cameras 70% want drivers to slow near their school 50% want more places to cross 40% are scared when on foot 37% had told a driver to slow down Source: survey of 1,500 7-14 year-olds in cities across the UK

It also comes as cars are banned from 32 cities in the UK on Monday as part of a Europe-wide attempt to stop congestion.

Cities participating in the Car-Free Day include Bristol, Cardiff as well as some London boroughs including Camden.

Brake Researcher Cathy Keeler said: "Kids from inner city schools are saying that they're fairly scared when they're walking to and from school and home.

"There's a very strong message coming across from children to drivers, which is 'slow down, you might save the life of a child on foot'."

Four out of 10 were scared of the roads when they were on foot.

Children were most concerned about roads around their schools and homes when walking or cycling.

One in 10 of the children said they had been hit by a car themselves.

Slow zones

The survey also suggested children feel uneasy about how fast their parents drive.

Two out of three said they had told an adult to "slow down" while being a passenger in their car.

The UK's record on road safety is better than that of many others countries in western Europe.

But there is a high death rate among children, with more than 100 deaths and 3,000 serious injuries every year.

Councils are now allowed to lower speed limits on their roads if they want, and several have introduced 20mph limits in built-up areas and outside schools.

But Brake said the level of fear among children in urban environments was still unacceptable, and more urgent action was needed.