A child cycling to school in Bristol suffered minor injuries and was left “shocked” after being knocked off the bike by a parent driving to drop their kid, and the headteacher is now urging parents to not drop their kids directly in front of the school gates.

The incident happened last week at the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court Road, as the student was cycling to Redland Green School in the morning. A parent was dropping their kid going to drop their kid, but ended up hitting the child on bike.

The student came off the bicycle and has suffered minor cuts and grazes.

Ben Houghton, headteacher at the school said that the road which leads up to the school is narrow and should not be used by parents dropping off and picking up children.

Bristol World (link is external) reported that Houghton wrote a letter addressing the parents of students at Redland Green School: “Unfortunately, before school earlier this week we had an incident where one of our students was knocked off their bicycle by a parent in a car. This occurred on the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court Road. Fortunately, the student is unharmed beyond cuts and grazes but nevertheless it was shocking for them and those who witnessed it.

“I would like to stress that Redland Court Road should not be used to drop off or pick up your children. It is narrow, has limited visibility and at peak times is very busy with our students walking and cycling to school. We would suggest that if you decide to drive your child to school you drop them off by the on-street parking near Redland Green Park or further along Redland Green Road.”

The incident comes as Bristol City Council continues to roll out ‘school streets’ where vehicles are banned outside schools at the start and end of the school day, with walkers and cyclists taking priority.

So far, school streets have been introduced seven schools in the city — and four more should be getting the zones in September this year.

School Streets are areas which restrict motor vehicles outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times and apply to both school and through traffic, while typically continuing to permit access for people living there. They also aim to encourage children to cycle, scoot, or walk to school.

Despite the initial hesitancy, the road safety initiative has been taken up in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Research (link is external) from Sustrans showed that School Streets resulted in a traffic reduction of eight per cent, with 90 per cent parents and residents would support a street closure regularly outside the school.

In fact, children and parents took to the barricades last year in a bid to prevent their ‘School Street’ being ripped out by the pro-motoring mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who had been removed from the post after being found guilty of electoral fraud and “corrupt and illegal practices” in 2015.

In other news, Reading Borough Council approved a trial scheme to close Crescent Road between its junctions with Wokingham Road and Bulmershe Road to be made permanent, as part of a School Streets programme for three nearby schools, Alfred Sutton Primary School, UTC and Maiden Erlegh School.

Cllr Rob White, leader of the opposition and Green party member for Park ward, said: “It’s great seeing young people walking down the middle of the road unimpeded by cars, which used to be fairly common for residents to raise.

“The congestion in Crescent Road was so bad that car were mounting the pavement and driving along and there were some very close calls, so it’s really positive to see the change.”

Meanwhile, Bristol’s Green Party Councillor Christine Townsend criticised the Council’s Labour leadership for not prioritising School Streets “where they are most needed”.

She said: “The community schools remaining on Bristol’s school streets waiting list, educate local children, many in areas of deprivation.”

https://road.cc/content/news/student-cycling-school-knocked-bike-parent-driving-302137

On 26/06/2023 06:57 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

> A child cycling to school in Bristol suffered minor injuries and was left “shocked” after being knocked off the bike by a parent driving to drop their kid, and the headteacher is now urging parents to not drop their kids directly in front of the school gates.
> The incident happened last week at the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court Road, as the student was cycling to Redland Green School in the morning. A parent was dropping their kid going to drop their kid, but ended up hitting the child on bike.
> The student came off the bicycle and has suffered minor cuts and grazes.
> Ben Houghton, headteacher at the school said that the road which leads up to the school is narrow and should not be used by parents dropping off and picking up children.

There's a point being ignored there (but of course, it's something
published by the deceitful, dishonest and less than fully-literate
road.cc, so no surprises there)..

There is no problem with two road-users heading for the same spot
(whether to stop momentarily or for longer) as long as they both follow
the rules of the road. People do it all the time, in the case of
entrances to private premises (eg, schools, supermarkets), hundreds of
times a day.

Speaking of the rules of the road (the Road Traffic Acts and
Regulations, plus the less-important Highway Code) there is absolutely
NO rule which says "You must not take your child to school in a car", so
please forget that one completely.

Either the driver or the cyclist (perhaps both of them) broke a rule -
that is, a rule which actually *exists* rather then made up by Houghton.
Had that breach (or breaches) not happened, the collision would / could
not have occurred. It's really quite simple - rather like Mason.

So let's see whether any of the rest of the "story" identifies the cause
of the collision...

> Bristol World (link is external) reported that Houghton wrote a letter addressing the parents of students at Redland Green School: “Unfortunately, before school earlier this week we had an incident where one of our students was knocked off their bicycle by a parent in a car.

That's Houghton's view. It might or might not be factual. There is
certainly no evidence to support it within the "story".

> This occurred on the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court Road. Fortunately, the student is unharmed beyond cuts and grazes but nevertheless it was shocking for them and those who witnessed it.
> “I would like to stress that Redland Court Road should not be used to drop off or pick up your children.

Say who?

Is Redland Court Road part of the public highway?

If so, a teacher at the school be he ever so high in his own
imagination, has no authority to issue barked-out orders to parents not
to use the highway.

> It is narrow, has limited visibility and at peak times is very busy with our students walking and cycling to school. We would suggest that if you decide to drive your child to school you drop them off by the on-street parking near Redland Green Park or further along Redland Green Road.”

Nothing to so with Houghton. None of his business.
>
> The incident comes as Bristol City Council continues to roll out ‘school streets’ where vehicles are banned outside schools at the start and end of the school day, with walkers and cyclists taking priority.

How do the staff get to their privileged off-street parking spaces, then?

How does Houghton get to his (when and if that system comes to Redland
Court Road)?

> So far, school streets have been introduced seven schools in the city — and four more should be getting the zones in September this year.
> School Streets are areas which restrict motor vehicles outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times and apply to both school and through traffic, while typically continuing to permit access for people living there. They also aim to encourage children to cycle, scoot, or walk to school.
> Despite the initial hesitancy, the road safety initiative has been taken up in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Research (link is external) from Sustrans showed that School Streets resulted in a traffic reduction of eight per cent, with 90 per cent parents and residents would support a street closure regularly outside the school.
> In fact, children and parents took to the barricades last year in a bid to prevent their ‘School Street’ being ripped out by the pro-motoring mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who had been removed from the post after being found guilty of electoral fraud and “corrupt and illegal practices” in 2015.
> In other news, Reading Borough Council approved a trial scheme to close Crescent Road between its junctions with Wokingham Road and Bulmershe Road to be made permanent, as part of a School Streets programme for three nearby schools, Alfred Sutton Primary School, UTC and Maiden Erlegh School.
> Cllr Rob White, leader of the opposition and Green party member for Park ward, said: “It’s great seeing young people walking down the middle of the road unimpeded by cars, which used to be fairly common for residents to raise.
> “The congestion in Crescent Road was so bad that car were mounting the pavement and driving along and there were some very close calls, so it’s really positive to see the change.”
> Meanwhile, Bristol’s Green Party Councillor Christine Townsend criticised the Council’s Labour leadership for not prioritising School Streets “where they are most needed”.
> She said: “The community schools remaining on Bristol’s school streets waiting list, educate local children, many in areas of deprivation.”

> https://road.cc/content/news/student-cycling-school-knocked-bike-parent-driving-302137

So... no analysis of the collision. None whatsoever.

Just Houghton and road.cc spouting crap.

And Mad Mason cutting and pasting it.

On 26/06/2023 08:26 pm, JNugent wrote:

> On 26/06/2023 06:57 pm, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> A child cycling to school in Bristol suffered minor injuries and was
>> left “shocked” after being knocked off the bike by a parent driving to
>> drop their kid, and the headteacher is now urging parents to not drop
>> their kids directly in front of the school gates.
>> The incident happened last week at the junction of Redland Green Road
>> and Redland Court Road, as the student was cycling to Redland Green
>> School in the morning. A parent was dropping their kid going to drop
>> their kid, but ended up hitting the child on bike.
>> The student came off the bicycle and has suffered minor cuts and grazes.
>> Ben Houghton, headteacher at the school said that the road which leads
>> up to the school is narrow and should not be used by parents dropping
>> off and picking up children.
>
> There's a point being ignored there (but of course, it's something
> published by the deceitful, dishonest and less than fully-literate
> road.cc, so no surprises there)..
>
> There is no problem with two road-users heading for the same spot
> (whether to stop momentarily or for longer) as long as they both follow
> the rules of the road. People do it all the time, in the case of
> entrances to private premises (eg, schools, supermarkets), hundreds of
> times a day.
>
> Speaking of the rules of the road (the Road Traffic Acts and
> Regulations, plus the less-important Highway Code) there is absolutely
> NO rule which says "You must not take your child to school in a car", so
> please forget that one completely.
>
ERROR (corrected):

> Either the driver or the cyclist (perhaps both of them) broke a rule -
> that is, a rule which actually *exists* rather THAN made up by Houghton.
> Had that breach (or breaches) not happened, the collision would / could
> not have occurred. It's really quite simple - rather like Mason.
>
> So let's see whether any of the rest of the "story" identifies the cause
> of the collision...
>
>> Bristol World (link is external) reported that Houghton wrote a letter
>> addressing the parents of students at Redland Green School:
>> “Unfortunately, before school earlier this week we had an incident
>> where one of our students was knocked off their bicycle by a parent in
>> a car.
>
> That's Houghton's view. It might or might not be factual. There is
> certainly no evidence to support it within the "story".
>
>> This occurred on the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court
>> Road. Fortunately, the student is unharmed beyond cuts and grazes but
>> nevertheless it was shocking for them and those who witnessed it.
>> “I would like to stress that Redland Court Road should not be used to
>> drop off or pick up your children.
>
> Say who?
>
> Is Redland Court Road part of the public highway?
>
> If so, a teacher at the school, be he ever so high in his own
> imagination, has no authority to issue barked-out orders to parents not
> to use the highway.
>
>> It is narrow, has limited visibility and at peak times is very busy
>> with our students walking and cycling to school. We would suggest that
>> if you decide to drive your child to school you drop them off by the
>> on-street parking near Redland Green Park or further along Redland
>> Green Road.”
>
ERROR corrected:

> Nothing to DO with Houghton. None of his business.
>>
>> The incident comes as Bristol City Council continues to roll out
>> ‘school streets’ where vehicles are banned outside schools at the
>> start and end of the school day, with walkers and cyclists taking
>> priority.
>
> How do the staff get to their privileged off-street parking spaces, then?
>
> How does Houghton get to his (when and if that system comes to Redland
> Court Road)?
>
>> So far, school streets have been introduced seven schools in the city
>> — and four more should be getting the zones in September this year.
>> School Streets are areas which restrict motor vehicles outside schools
>> at drop-off and pick-up times and apply to both school and through
>> traffic, while typically continuing to permit access for people living
>> there. They also aim to encourage children to cycle, scoot, or walk to
>> school.
>> Despite the initial hesitancy, the road safety initiative has been
>> taken up in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
>> Research (link is external) from Sustrans showed that School Streets
>> resulted in a traffic reduction of eight per cent, with 90 per cent
>> parents and residents would support a street closure regularly outside
>> the school.
>> In fact, children and parents took to the barricades last year in a
>> bid to prevent their ‘School Street’ being ripped out by the
>> pro-motoring mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who had been
>> removed from the post after being found guilty of electoral fraud and
>> “corrupt and illegal practices” in 2015.
>> In other news, Reading Borough Council approved a trial scheme to
>> close Crescent Road between its junctions with Wokingham Road and
>> Bulmershe Road to be made permanent, as part of a School Streets
>> programme for three nearby schools, Alfred Sutton Primary School, UTC
>> and Maiden Erlegh School.
>> Cllr Rob White, leader of the opposition and Green party member for
>> Park ward, said: “It’s great seeing young people walking down the
>> middle of the road unimpeded by cars, which used to be fairly common
>> for residents to raise.
>> “The congestion in Crescent Road was so bad that car were mounting the
>> pavement and driving along and there were some very close calls, so
>> it’s really positive to see the change.”
>> Meanwhile, Bristol’s Green Party Councillor Christine Townsend
>> criticised the Council’s Labour leadership for not prioritising School
>> Streets “where they are most needed”.
>> She said: “The community schools remaining on Bristol’s school streets
>> waiting list, educate local children, many in areas of deprivation.”
>
>> https://road.cc/content/news/student-cycling-school-knocked-bike-parent-driving-302137
>>
> So... no analysis of the collision. None whatsoever.
>
> Just Houghton and road.cc spouting crap.
>
> And Mad Mason cutting and pasting it.

HoldingOn | 222 posts | 1 hour ago
4 likes

I have to admit, I am surprised this is the first news article like this I have read on here. (I'm sure there have been others, but I am reasonably new!)

As bad as drivists are most of the time, in my experience, all bets are off during the school run. It's like Wacky Races. Complete disregard for any form of road markings or common sense. I've seen parents completely block off the road, parked at a bus stop, just so they don't have to get out of their car to watch their child the last 10metres in the school door.

Hope the little one is alright and hopefully (as ktache also says) they get back on their bike.

QUOTE: Only people walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting are permitted access to the School Street zone while the restriction is in place, with exemptions given to emergency vehicles and Blue Badge holders. In some cases, permits will be given to residents and businesses living or working within the zone – this varies from scheme to scheme and is decided on an individual basis. ENDS

swldx...@gmail.com <swldxer1958@gmail.com> wrote:
> A child cycling to school in Bristol suffered minor injuries and was left
> “shocked” after being knocked off the bike by a parent driving to drop
> their kid, and the headteacher is now urging parents to not drop their
> kids directly in front of the school gates.
>
> The incident happened last week at the junction of Redland Green Road and
> Redland Court Road, as the student was cycling to Redland Green School in
> the morning. A parent was dropping their kid going to drop their kid, but
> ended up hitting the child on bike.
>
> The student came off the bicycle and has suffered minor cuts and grazes.
>
> Ben Houghton, headteacher at the school said that the road which leads up
> to the school is narrow and should not be used by parents dropping off
> and picking up children.
>
> Bristol World (link is external) reported that Houghton wrote a letter
> addressing the parents of students at Redland Green School:
> “Unfortunately, before school earlier this week we had an incident where
> one of our students was knocked off their bicycle by a parent in a car.
> This occurred on the junction of Redland Green Road and Redland Court
> Road. Fortunately, the student is unharmed beyond cuts and grazes but
> nevertheless it was shocking for them and those who witnessed it.
>
> “I would like to stress that Redland Court Road should not be used to
> drop off or pick up your children. It is narrow, has limited visibility
> and at peak times is very busy with our students walking and cycling to
> school. We would suggest that if you decide to drive your child to school
> you drop them off by the on-street parking near Redland Green Park or
> further along Redland Green Road.”
>
> The incident comes as Bristol City Council continues to roll out ‘school
> streets’ where vehicles are banned outside schools at the start and end
> of the school day, with walkers and cyclists taking priority.
>
> So far, school streets have been introduced seven schools in the city —
> and four more should be getting the zones in September this year.
>
> School Streets are areas which restrict motor vehicles outside schools at
> drop-off and pick-up times and apply to both school and through traffic,
> while typically continuing to permit access for people living there. They
> also aim to encourage children to cycle, scoot, or walk to school.
>
> Despite the initial hesitancy, the road safety initiative has been taken
> up in England, Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland. Research
> (link is external) from Sustrans showed that School Streets resulted in a
> traffic reduction of eight per cent, with 90 per cent parents and
> residents would support a street closure regularly outside the school.
>
> In fact, children and parents took to the barricades last year in a bid
> to prevent their ‘School Street’ being ripped out by the pro-motoring
> mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman, who had been removed from the post
> after being found guilty of electoral fraud and “corrupt and illegal practices” in 2015.

In its headlong rush to denigrate the former Mayor of Tower Hamlets,
road.cc forgot to mention this:

QUOTE

A former east London mayor who was removed from office and banned from
standing for five years has been re-elected to the post.

Lutfur Rahman was removed as mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2015 after being
found guilty of electoral fraud.

However, standing for the Aspire party on his first return to politics he
beat incumbent Labour mayor John Biggs.

Mr Rahman said he was "so grateful" to be given "another chance... to
rebuild and to serve" the borough.

Mr Biggs had held the post of mayor since Mr Rahman had been found
responsible for electoral wrongdoing at an Election Court in 2015.

However, he was beaten after second preference votes were counted, taking
33,487 votes compared to the 40,804 won by the Aspire candidate.

Following his victory, Mr Rahman told the BBC he was very pleased voters
had given him "another chance to serve them" and "deliver my progressive
agenda which I started in 2010".

"The people of the borough gave a verdict today. I was in the court of the
people and they said in a loud voice that they wanted Lutfur Rahman and his
team to serve them for the next four years," he added.

ENDQUOTE

<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-61358043>

Democracy…a right b****r to the anti-car pro-bicycle mob, eh?

> In other news, Reading Borough Council approved a trial scheme to close
> Crescent Road between its junctions with Wokingham Road and Bulmershe
> Road to be made permanent, as part of a School Streets programme for
> three nearby schools, Alfred Sutton Primary School, UTC and Maiden Erlegh School.
>
> Cllr Rob White, leader of the opposition and Green party member for Park
> ward, said: “It’s great seeing young people walking down the middle of
> the road unimpeded by cars, which used to be fairly common for residents to raise.
>
> “The congestion in Crescent Road was so bad that car were mounting the
> pavement and driving along and there were some very close calls, so it’s
> really positive to see the change.”
>
> Meanwhile, Bristol’s Green Party Councillor Christine Townsend criticised
> the Council’s Labour leadership for not prioritising School Streets
> “where they are most needed”.
>
> She said: “The community schools remaining on Bristol’s school streets
> waiting list, educate local children, many in areas of deprivation.”
>
> https://road.cc/content/news/student-cycling-school-knocked-bike-parent-driving-302137

--
Spike

To date, Bristol City Council has successfully launched the School Streets scheme with seven primary schools in the city, and we are now looking to extend this to Ashton Gate Primary School.

We are now seeking feedback on the proposals. To give your opinion please fill in the Ashton Gate School Streets survey which will close on Sunday 23 July at 5pm.

The main aims of Bristol School Streets are to:

lower the volume of traffic around the school gates
improve road safety for pupils and their families
encourage more pupils to walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school
improve the air quality and environment at the school gates, making it a more pleasant space for everyone.

The scheme can be enforced by the police. The penalty for ignoring the prohibition is a fixed penalty notice. Advanced warning signs would be installed, and temporary barriers placed at the entrance to the scheme and monitored by school staff. All vehicles already parked in the zone before the times of operation would be able to exit without incurring a fixed penalty notice.

Bristol School Streets aims to encourage and prioritise a safe environment around schools to allow for walking, cycling and scooting. Parents and carers who feel they need to drive will need to park legally nearby and walk the remainder of the journey.