ENSURING safety for children going to and from school is essential but is the imposition of a 20mph speed limit and speed ramps the best way to do this?

While these measures may ensure a reasonably safe traffic environment, they seem rather crude.

Children only attend school for about 200 days per year and are thus only at risk from traffic for about 600 hours a year yet the measures being imposed are operative for 24 hours every day of the year which is unduly restrictive.

The Association of British Drivers has proposed 15 or 20mph speed limit zones in the vicinity of schools indicated by means of flashing lights controlled by the school to suit their particular entry and exit times. When switched off, the normal limit for the road would apply.

Systems similar to this have been tried in Glasgow, Derbyshire and Yorkshire with successful results and are, I should think, a lot cheaper to install.

KEITH BERRY, Nursery Road, Malvern.