BALLYNAHINCH Primary School has won a Road Safety Award after launching their ‘fast and furious’ campaign.
The school’s P7 class were in celebration mode on Friday when they were crowned the winners of the Road Safety NI award in the primary school category.
The awards are given to individuals or groups who have made a significant contribution towards improving the safety of roads in Northern Ireland during the last year.
In January this year, the then-P6 class had become so worried about the increasing danger of crossing the Dromore Road outside their school that they decided to launch a campaign entitled ‘Fast & Furious’ with the direction of their teacher Mrs Sharon Kirkland.
Each pupil wrote a letter to their five locally elected representatives appealing for action to be taken to improve the safety of Dromore Road. The school had previously missed out on being designated a 20mph speed limit outside their school during pickup and drop-off.
Their concerns were further heightened when their lollipop man, who has since had to retire, was clipped by a speeding vehicle while carrying out his duties.
A spokesperson for the school said, “We are so proud of our young people and staff for all their efforts in making road safety a relevant and passionate topic within our school community!
“This recognition celebrates our commitment to promoting road safety awareness, fostering responsible habits, and ensuring a safer environment for our pupils and community.
“This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of our P7 pupils, staff, elected representatives and parents who have worked together to try and truly make a difference in how our children cross the Dromore Road, at the entrance to our school.”
