School road safety raises concerns

In December, a 16-year-old girl was taken to hospital after being hit by a car near Williamwood high, where she was treated for a broken pelvis and leg.

The incident has prompted several letters to The Extra.

John Ritchie, from Clarkston, wrote: “The lighting [near Williamwood] is extremely poor. The hazards on this road are exacerbated by the fact that all of the pupils are dressed in black. It may help if the school were to increase education on road safety.”

A Newton Mearns resident replied: “My concern has always rested with motorists. We need to drive sensibly — it’s us and not pedestrians in charge of a deadly weapon.”

Thomas Williams, from Newton Mearns, added that problems are caused by a “high concentration of cars and drivers with attentions split between driving, their kids and finding or leaving a parking space”.

An East Renfrewshire council spokesman responded: “A joint meeting was held a week after the incident to assess the conditions, and the level of lighting was found to be above the minimum levels required.”

He added: “The roads service spend a significant amount of time dealing with issues raised around schools, which involves liaison with education, the police and the schools themselves.”

Meanwhile, sergeant Susan Gillon assured residents that East Ren cops are “working very closely with the roads department to target concern areas, including schools. We can police road traffic offences but it’s up to the drivers to look out for hazards and make sure they drive carefully.”

She added that “campus officers give road safety talks to children from primary age through to high school on a regular basis.”