St Brides Major Primary Pupil wins road safety poster competition
A St Brides Major CIW Primary Pupil has won a Road Safety Wales poster competition with an entry that promotes the new 20mph speed limit introduced to her school’s village.
Emily Rideout, who now attends Cowbridge Comprehensive, was one of five winners from across the country.
Young people aged up to 18 were invited to design a poster to promote the safe use of active travel, the benefits of 20 mph speed limits on communities or to encourage safer driver behaviour across Wales.
The posters were judged by the Road Safety Wales Executive Group on originality, creativity, impact and the message being portrayed.
Emily said: “I wanted to focus on children because the campaign is all about keeping them safe. The school tie and school crest were included to remind people that there is a school in the village and I thought it would be fun, and part of the theme, if the car was in the St Brides colours too. I thought it was important to use Welsh and English as road signs are in Welsh and English. My favourite part was drawing the children and making them happy and playful.”
St Brides was selected as one of eight areas in Wales to trial a new 20mph speed limit earlier this year after the Vale of Glamorgan Council was successful in gaining Welsh Government funding.
Having previously been a 30mph zone, the lower restriction was introduced last summer.
Not only is travelling at that speed safer, it also benefits the community by promoting healthy travel options such as walking and cycling.
Should the pilot prove successful, 20mph will become the new default lower speed limit across Wales.
Duncan Mottram, headteacher of St Brides Major Church in Wales Primary School, said: “Both the school and local community are delighted to be playing such a prominent role in this exciting initiative. Reducing the speed limit on our roads will make them safer and also help to promote alternative, greener forms of transport like walking and cycling.
“Pupils have been involved in this project from the start, taking part in a competition to design road signs that appear around the village, while a local resident group has also made their support clear from the outset.
“We are proud to be one of the pilot schemes for this new lower speed limit and we look forward to it being rolled out across the country.”