Data recently downloaded from Midsomer Norton Town Council's speed radar has exposed the shocking levels of speeding that children walking to the nearby schools have to contend with every day. The camera was placed to record drivers heading north, just before the speed limit changes to 20mph. Although the dataset is incomplete, due to some technical difficulties, data was captured on 66 days between April and October this year.

Astonishingly, in those 66 days worth of data, the camera recorded over 40,000 cars speeding with almost 20% of drivers breaking the 30mph limit. Speeds of up to 45mph were regularly recorded at the school-run time with a few cars even clocked at over 50mph.

The placement of the camera on Silver Street was requested by me after being contacted by several parents concerned about the dangerous traffic speeds they faced when walking their children to school. Although there are crossings on the southern side of Silver Street there's no crossing near Ivy Walk and St Chad's Avenue which is a natural desire line for children travelling to Somervale and St John's schools. At this busy stretch of road there is not even a traffic island to help pedestrians cross and there are no traffic attendants on duty either. The closest defined crossing would be in the Town Centre involving a quarter mile detour just to cross the road.

In August I started a petition for a safe crossing on the northern side of Silver Street which has received over 100 supporters http://change.org/silverstreet. I plan to deliver it to B&NES Council to urge them to prioritise a safe crossing here. If we're serious about encouraging people to make short journeys on foot we need to start by making it safe to walk to school. It's outrageous that primary kids in Midsomer Norton face running a gauntlet of motorway style traffic just to walk to primary school. I think this road should have the 20mph speed limit extended its length and a defined crossing near Ivy Walk. With such a high percentage of drivers breaking the speed limit, a fixed camera is also essential. In my opinion, too many people forget that driving is a privilege while walking safely to school is a basic right.

The Speed Camera, owned by Midsomer Norton Town Council is regularly moved to different locations around town. To see where it's currently placed, please visit the Council's website https://www.midsomernortontowncouncil.co.uk/speed-camera/

Opinions are my own and may not necessarily reflect those of the Town Council.