School safe environment zones (SSEZ)
The School Safe Environment Zones (SSEZ) programme is the Council’s approach to delivering road safety and congestion improvements for schools across Swindon.
This 5 year programme, with an annual budget of £100,000, has been agreed by the council's Cabinet (1 July 2020). The number of schemes delivered is likely to vary each year, depending on the scale of each SSEZ.
Behavioural change measures
The SSEZ’s are likely to include a package of measures that will encourage behavioural change and improve safety outside and in the area around the schools.
The behavioural change measures could include one or more of the following:
- 5 minute walk zones
- Park ‘n’ Stride
- School streets
- Anti-idling and air quality toolkits
- Student sign and banner design competitions
- Cycle pods and scooter pods
- Modeshifts STARS Education
The design of each SSEZ will be bespoke to the circumstances and characteristics of each school, its location and the current behaviours of its pupils and parents or carers.
Engineering and educational measures
The programme will also consider engineering and/or education based measures to deliver road safety improvements. Some of the options we will be considering are:
- road signs
- flashing wigwags - school flashing amber lights
- yellow backing boards
- waiting restrictions – typically mandatory, 'School Keep Clear' markings
- a localised speed limit change
- road markings and text coloured road surface panels
- traffic calming features - vertical and horizontal
- cycle facilities
- school streets
Assessment and prioritisation
In order to accurately prioritise Swindon schools, each has been assessed on the school type (Primary, Secondary), the type and condition of its approach road and the availability of cycle routes and footpaths. The speed limit of the road as well as the presence of any pedestrian crossing facilities has also been taken into consideration, along with any ‘School Safety Zone’ features and traffic calming measures that have previously been implemented. For each of these responses, a different value has been assigned.
Other factors that have been considered, and assigned a value, are the number of pupils at the school, the percentage of pupils living within the walk to school threshold who are getting to school by car, and the schools engagement in the Modeshift Stars scheme. Concerns that have been raised by schools themselves, parents, residents and Councillors regarding driving speeds near the school or dangerous parking, have also been taken into consideration.
We have collected data from the last 3 years in relation to road traffic collisions involving children between the ages of 5 and 17, on their way to or home from school. Each school has been assessed depending on the closeness of these collisions to their school entrance (50 metres and 1 kilometre), and the severity of the injuries caused to the child.
Further information
If you would like to find out more about the SSEZ programme, you can contact us via email at: ssez@swindon.gov.uk