 Mrs Stoner would like car speeds cut to 20mph around her home |
The mother of a girl who died when she was knocked off her bicycle has gathered a petition campaigning for improvements in road safety. Jade Stoner, seven, died last month after being hit by a car as she cycled near her home in Christchurch, Dorset.
Her mother, Debbie Stoner, has said she will take the 3,500 signature petition to local councillors.
Mrs Stoner is calling for steps to reduce traffic speed around the housing estate where Jade was hit.
The 19-year-old man who was driving the car involved and a female passenger were not injured in the crash.
 |  Hit by a car that's doing 20 [mph], 19 out of 20 will survive |
Mrs Stoner would like to see traffic speed reduced to 20mph through traffic calming measures such as speed bumps and pavement widening.
'Hope and pray'
Mrs Stoner told BBC News: "Its the worst thing any parent can go through.
"Its always in the back of your mind when you let your children out to play that something will happen but you just hope and pray that nothing will, but unfortunately it did to Jade and now I just want to stop it happening to anyone else.
"Its heartbreaking and if only it was only 20mph down this road Jade would have survived.
"That's why we need to make the change now and make it safe for our children."
Katrina Philips, of the Child Accident Prevention Trust, said: "If a child is out walking and is hit by a car that's doing 40 [mph] there's a four in five chance that kid will die, if they're doing 30 there's a four in five chance they'll survive.
"Hit by a car that's doing 20, 19 out of 20 will survive - almost a third will have no injuries at all."
'A rat-run'
However, experts from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (Rospa) have said that lowering the speed limit by employing traffic calming measures in one road may increase the number of vehicles that are using other roads nearby.
Roger Vincent, of Rospa, said: "You would need local experts to take a look at the area.
"Traffic calming is very effective at protecting vulnerable road users but you would have to look at the whole area as it might cause a rat-run."
Mrs Stoner is due to present her petition to Christchurch Borough Council in the evening.
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