Project EDWARD, Day 5 – 2022

Posted on Friday 21st October 2022 in All Road Users, Drivers, Education and Training, Pedestrians

Officers from the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership Casualty Reduction Team attended Gratton’s Drive in Crawley this morning as a direct result of reports submitted to Operation Crackdown, the anti-social driving website.

Casualty Reduction Sergeant Richard Hornsey said:

‘This week saw various road safety operations across the country as part of Project Edward (Every Day without a Road Death). One of the roles of my team is to review dashcam footage that is sent into Operation Crackdown and educate or prosecute drivers where appropriate. I noted that there had been several recent reports, supported by photographs and videos, about selfish and illegal parking in the restricted area outside the school and we are committed to reducing the risk to vulnerable road users and children. Two drivers were dealt with for parking matters and one car was seized.’

A £50 fixed penalty notice was issued for parking in the restricted area outside the school, plus: the car was seized, 6 points and a £300 fixed penalty was issued, on top of the recovery cost of £150 for not having valid insurance!

It’s always illegal to park on yellow zig-zag lines anywhere.

Rule 240

You MUST NOT stop or park on:

  • a pedestrian crossing, including the area marked by the zig-zag lines (see Rule 191)

You can find more information from the Highway Code.

If you need to drive your child to school, for the safety of your child, their friends and the local community, we request that you park safely, legally and considerately. There may be road safety engineering schemes and parking restrictions outside your school to encourage good driver behaviour.

Consider parking further away from the school and walking the last 5 or 10 minutes. Walking to school is good for your health and means there is less congestion outside the school, improving air quality and safety around your school, and you get to spend more time with your children!

What are school keep clears for? For safety – to ensure clear sight lines for both motorists and children, as well as for other road users, outside schools. They provide a clear area in which families can cross more safely.