PARENTS are being urged to sign a charter to park responsibly outside schools in response to mounting concerns over pupils' safety.

Multi-agency groups Safer Hambleton and Safer Richmondshire said the Parent’s Parking Promise would see drivers pledging not to park on yellow or zigzag lines, on the pavement.

The charter, which is being made available to every school in the districts, will also ask parents to agree not to park across dropped kerbs on driveways, within ten metres of a junction, double park or let children out into the road.

The initiative also includes school lesson plan ideas, outdoor banners and a safer parking leaflet.

While accident figures are low outside schools in the area, it is understood that there are perceived safety issues outside most schools.

A spokesman for the groups said: "Irresponsible parking by a minority of parents poses a safety risk to pupils and parents that walk and cycle to school, as well as to other road users and local home owners.

"Although some parents believe that by driving their children to school they are keeping them safe, each individual journey means an increase in traffic and congestion, particularly at the school gate."

In November, Transport minister and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill said parents were endangering pupils outside school gates as they were racing to get their children to school on time or to be there to collect them.

He said the issue was being aggravated by the common practice of parking on pavements near schools, which caused problems for parents with children in pushchairs, people in wheelchairs, or the visually impaired and blind.

The safety groups said walking children to school to help improve fitness and concentration levels in the classroom.

Stokesley police community support officer Georgina Lodge urged parents to start their trips to school five minutes earlier.

She said: “We realise that there are some parents and carers who have no alternative but to drive their children to school, however, many are driving short distances when walking is a real option.

Kevin Pratt, road safety officer for North Yorkshire County Council, added: “Many children now miss out on the opportunity to develop vital road safety skills with their parents on the way to school.

"They fail to build up confidence and learn the ability to manage risk walking around their local community.”