25 November 2011 – Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for Berkshire and the South East is visiting Shinfield today to support local people’s calls for lower speed limits and safer streets.

Keith, the Green MEP responsible for road safety in the European Parliament, will visit Shinfield St Mary’s Junior School and Shinfield Infant and Nursery School to hear the concerns of teachers and parents. Keith will be visiting the area around the schools, School Green, where campaigners are calling for a 20mph speed limit to give additional protection to children going to and from school.

Keith is supporting the work of local campaigners who have set up a petition to reduce the speed limit in Shinfield, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross to 30mph from the current 40mph limit. Nearby roads such as Nine Mile Ride and Rushey Way currently have 30mph limits.

Keith Taylor, a member of the European Parliament’s transport committee, recently gained support from the parliament for 20mph residential speed limits to be recommended as road safety best practice across the EU.

Keith said: “I’m supporting this campaign for improved road safety and lower speeds. The facts are clear, a pedestrian hit by a car travelling at 20mph is likely to suffer slight injuries, at 30mph they are likely to be severely hurt and at 40mph or above they are likely to be killed. A reduction in the speed limit, especially around the schools, would significantly reduce the number of road accidents as well as making Shinfield a quieter and more pleasant place to live.”

Local campaigner, Marjory Bissett, said: “I’m campaigning for lower speed limits because the current limits are too high for the village centres where people are trying to get to the shops and community facilities. Roads like Nine Mile Ride and Rushey Way currently have 30mph limits, even though there are hardly any shops. I have been door-knocking and speaking to parents outside the schools to collect signatures for my petition (1), and have had a very positive response.

She continued: “Lowering speed limits throughout Shinfield Parish is one of the aspirations in the recently published Community Plan, produced by local residents. I hope that Keith Taylor’s visit will focus attention on the campaign and lead to more people signing the petition.”

Notes to Editors

1. The petition is available online at http://tinyurl.com/3gmzby4