WITH schools about to break up for the long summer holidays, Nottinghamshire County Council is reminding all road users to take extra care on the county’s roads.

“With the long six-week school holidays now upon us there will, naturally, be an increase in the number of children out playing, both during the daytime and in the evenings,” says Pam Shaw, the council’s road safety manager.

“All road users need to take extra care, not only on main roads but, especially, in built-up residential areas.

“Motorists are asked to be aware when passing areas where children are likely to gather, such as near play parks and on housing estates, and ideally should drop their speed.”

Parents are being urged to remind their children about keeping themselves safe, making sure they play in safe areas and always use safe crossing places, not only when playing near home but also when somewhere different, such as on holiday.

Motorists are advised to:

be aware of children using roads, both as cyclists and as pedestrians
watch out for children playing around parks, open spaces and built-up areas and remember that they can become easily distracted

Parents are asked to:

remind their child to give the road their full attention
ensure they choose a safe place to play – not the road
make sure they take off headphones and switch off phones when crossing the road
ensure they wear a cycle helmet and light/bright clothing when cycling.

Parents are also being urged to make sure that in-car child seats and booster seats are correctly used and that seatbelts are always worn.