Every 19 days a class of young children is killed or seriously injured on roads in Britain

FIGURES show that in 2021, 512 children aged 7 or younger were killed or seriously injured on British roads. That's 1 young child every 17 hours. That is the equivalent of a whole class of young children (27) being killed or serious injured every 19 days. This must stop.

That's why over 14,000 young children (aged 2 to 7) across the North West are taking part in:- 'Brake's Beep Beep! Day' a special event run by nearly 250 Schools, nurseries and childminders across the North West of England, to teach road safety basics through fun activities. They will also raise awareness among parents, carers and the wider community about keeping young children safe near roads. 1 School taking part in Beep Beep! Day is Phoenix Primary School in Liverpool.

Beep Beep! Days highlight the importance of young children holding hands with an adult while walking near or crossing roads at safe places. They also help children and their parents and carers understand why it's vital that young children are always sat in suitable child seats while travelling in a car; even on very short journeys.

Brake, the road safety charity, recently surveyed 2,030 parents and carers of children aged:- 2 to 11, to understand behaviours and concerns they may have about their children's journeys.

In 2021, 6 children aged 7 or under were killed and 159 seriously injured while travelling in cars. Now, even though the law requires the use of approved child seats, 14% of parents and carers surveyed told us that their child rarely or never sits in a child seat when travelling by car.

Similarly, the safest places to cross the road are on designated crossings, which are designed to slow or stop traffic for pedestrians. It's also widely accepted that crossing roads between parked vehicles can be hazardous, obstructing the view of both those crossing and those driving. Despite this, more than 35% of parents and carers admit to crossing roads between parked cars sometimes, and 14% told us they do so often. 37% of people told us they sometimes or often park on the pavement, even though 70% of respondents agree that it's dangerous to do so! 31% said it was ok for drivers to stop on double yellow lines, or zig zag lines outside School.

Lucy Straker, campaigns manager at Brake, said:- "Our children watch us, copy us every day. So when we cross between parked cars, don't use a child seat or park on the zig zags outside School, we have to think about the message that sends to our children. We, as parents and carers, know these choices aren't right, we know we are doing them because we are pushed for time or there seems like no other option, but our children don't know that; they will think that it is ok."

When asked who should take the most responsibility for teaching children about road safety, parents and carers were overwhelmingly the top choice for most respondents, with 83% of respondents ranking them 1st (76%) or second (7%). Educators were also a very popular choice, ranked 1st or second by 68% of respondents.

Straker continued:- "Beep Beep! Day is a great opportunity to start a conversation with our children about how to be safe around the road and why it is so important. I would like to thank everyone who is taking part; and especially the kids; for making this the biggest Beep Beep! Day yet."

77% of people told us they would like to walk or cycle more often with their children. When asked what factors would encourage them to walk or cycle more, the most popular reasons given were if they had more time (37%) or the journey was shorter (36%). Safety factors were next highest ranked by respondents, who told us they needed safe cycle paths (34%), pavements and footpaths (33%) to enable them to walk or cycle more often.

Full details of Brake's survey on what parent's think about road safety can be found at:- Brake.Org.UK. Also, take a look at:- ROSPA.Com.

More than a ¼ of over 50s forced to dip into savings

28% of over 50s are now turning to their savings pot to tide them over due to the cost of living crisis, new research conducted amongst the age group on behalf of Handelsbanken Wealth and Asset Management shows.

The research revealed that 10% of over 50s are investing less than before the cost of living crisis, with men twice as likely to do so compared to women (14% vs 7%). Meanwhile, 28% have decided to go on fewer holidays.

It is not just the bigger financial decisions and purchases people are cutting back on. Everyday spending habits are shifting as well, with 59% of over 50s spending less on:- 'non-essential items' as a direct result of the cost of living crisis.

50-somethings are feeling the impact the most, with 64% spending less on non-essential items, dropping to 62% among those in their 60's and around 50% of septuagenarians. Women were found to cut back more than men, with 63% spending less on non-essentials compared to men (54%).

As a result of the financial pressure to stay afloat, 9% of those in their 60s are now planning to delay their retirement indefinitely.

Christine Ross, Head of Private Office (North) and Client Director, at Handelsbanken Wealth and Asset Management, said:- "The squeezed middle aged are continuing to feel the strain of coping with the cost of living crisis. Many over 50s are facing steep costs for childcare, mortgages, and energy and feel they have no option but to change their saving and spending habits to cope with surging prices. Relying on savings to make ends meet is an obvious short-term measure, but as the months pass, it can have serious long-term consequences on your quality of life and retirement expectations. The best option is to seek professional financial planning advice to ensure you're making the right decisions and are better positioned to mitigate the impact of today's volatile financial climate."

Regionally, over 50s in Yorkshire and the Humber are changing their habits the most due to the cost of living crisis, with 66% saying they're spending less on non-essential items and 30% having to dip into their savings. In the East Midlands, just 25% of over 50s feel they aren't affected by the cost of living crisis.

Over 50s in the North East are having to make the least changes to their lifestyle, with 49% spending less on non-essentials, 18% cutting into their savings, and 37% not changing their habits due the cost of living crisis at all.