STAFF and parents of children at Hanbury C of E First School are calling for action to slow traffic down on School Road.
It is currently a national speed limit road which drops to 40 mph near the school but campaigners, who have worked tirelessly for seven years because of safety fears, want it decreased to at least 30 mph.
They say there has been three car crashes in recent years, including one on Wednesday morning (April 26) which left a 41-year-old woman with injuries to her neck.
Ron Spencer, who is a governor at the school, lives two doors down from the school and says it’s only a matter of time until someone is seriously hurt.
He said: “We are at a bit of a loss as to what to do next to make the road safer for the children crossing.
“Since 2010, the school, residents, parents and councillors have been trying to change the speed limit but we have been met with the response that until there is a serious accident, in other words fatal, there is nothing they can do.
“It seems crazy to me that it has to come to that until a change can be made.
“There have been three accidents in recent years, one involving staff from the school, as well as numerous near misses.
Headteacher Andrew Payne said: “The school is old and was built on a hill near a bend, so the entrances are not visible.”
He added the crash highlighted the need for the speed limit change.
Eve Beasley, parent and member of Friends of Hanbury School, questioned why the speed limit was so high when other rural school roads were 20mph.
Another mum, Victoria Millward, has collected 100 signatures on a petition and contacted Redditch MP Karen Lumley to help.
She said: “The school has been campaigning tirelessly to change the speed limit.
“We have had the response that there hasn’t been a serious enough accident for anything to be changed.
“It is barbaric that a child has to be injured or even killed for something to be done, we are asking for help but are being ignored.
“People use the road as a cut through to Bromsgrove, so they put their foot down.
“This keeps going on and on and it is not right.”
A Worcestershire County Council spokesperson said: “The current speed limits in School Road, Hanbury are set in accordance with Department for Transport guidance to reflect the general character of environment along the road, which in this instance is predominantly rural.
“Where there are specific hazards, such as the school, it is more effective to alert motorists to these by use of appropriate warning signs. In this case, high profile school flashing signs are in place.”
