Painting a clear picture

Children in Burnley have designed pictures to highlight the 20mph zone close to their school in an effort to remind drivers to stick to the speed limit.

The 20mph zone has been implemented because of the high number of road casualties in the area near St John the Baptist Primary School in Padiham. The school ran a competition for the best pictures with the winning posters displaying the messages, 'Lose your speed', 'Kill the speed, there's no need' and 'Be safe, not sorry'. The winners each received a £25 book token, certificate and framed version of their design.

"By getting children involved we can raise awareness of road safety messages to the entire school community," said head teacher John Carroll. "We welcome the new 20mph zone and these posters will hopefully make drivers think about their speed and slow them down."

The school is working in conjunction with Lancashire's road safety group to integrate road safety education into the curriculum. In Burnley last year, five children were killed or seriously injured and 39 slight injuries occurred in the 4-11 age group.