THOUSANDS of leaflets are to be distributed in schools as part of a renewed campaign to improve road safety and protect pupils.

The leaflets, which aim to highlight the congestion caused by parked cars outside almost every school in Hartlepool, call on families to consider walking wherever possible.

They also give more information about the road marking and signs that are designed to restrict parking outside schools and highlight the fact that the council uses a car equipped with CCTV to enforce these restrictions.

The leaflets, produced jointly by Hartlepool Borough Council’s sustainable travel and road safety and car parking enforcement teams, will be given to reception and Year 1 pupils to take home to their parents and carers.

Sustainable travel officer Robert Snowball said: “We hope that parents are given food for thought when their children bring these leaflets home.

“Drivers have a responsibility to park in a safe manner. If they don’t then they could be endangering a child’s life.

“We would urge families to walk to school wherever possible – it improves safety outside schools, it’s a good way of exercising and it helps to protect the environment.

“If people can’t walk all of the way to school then they should park legally and safely some distance away and walk the rest of the way. This helps keep areas around schools clear and improves safety for those that walk and cycle.”