Great Barr school pupils make safety plea after fatal crashes on A34
A safety campaign has been launched at a Great Barr school, which has seen three fatal crashes nearby in the past year.
Pupils have produced signs and banners to urge people to stay safe outside St Margaret's CofE Primary in Birmingham Road.
The youngsters have been busy designing banners encouraging people to stop risking their lives when crossing the busy dual carriageway outside the school.
They launched their campaign with the mayor of Sandwell, Councillor Julie Webb, town lead Councillor Steve Melia and the local police and fire service.
Pupils created eye-catching graphics to encourage children, parents and the community to use the crossings and underpass near the school.
Cabinet member for highways Councillor David Hosell said: "There have been three road accident fatalities nearby in the last 12 months – not outside the school, but close enough for road safety to be at the forefront of people's minds and high on the school's priorities.
"The school is working with the council's highways team, the fire service and the police to make the children really aware of road safety.
"The winners of the competition will see their designs made into road signs, and banners outside the school warning people to cross safely using the underpass or the crossings."
Worried teachers and council highways staff are concerned by the number of people who still cross over the A34 without using the pedestrian crossing and the subway – despite there being fencing on the central reservation to deter them.
Speeding outside the school is also a concern and police officers will be doing a speed watch initiative with the children later this month.
Older pupils are creating road signs to remind drivers to adhere to the 30mph speed limit.
The A34 continues to see deaths, with 88-year-old Mary Elizabeth Humpherson, known as Betty, dying after a crash in October.
A petition calling for further action on the dangerous dual carriageway was also launched following the deaths of Zoe Shapiro, 17, in February last year and Charlie Heywood, 19, in June.
Avril Child launched a video campaign late last year urging a safety review on the A34.
Her daughters Sarah and Claire were both struck in the horrific crash as they walked across the A34 Walsall Road, in Great Barr back in 2012.
Sarah, aged 26, was killed, while Clare, 24, who was pregnant at the time suffered nerve damage in her right leg and was unable to walk for two weeks.
Her baby was uninjured, and born two months later, a daughter called Evie.
