DRIVERS have been warned to "expect the unexpected" in the run-up to the annual summer holiday danger period for road accidents.

Thirty children were hurt - six of them suffering serious injuries - in holiday road accidents in the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale area last year.

In Pendle last year six child cylists were injured, six pedestrians, one on in-line skates and one car passenger.

In Rossendale there were two serious injuries and one slight injuries and in Burnley 12 pedestrians and one cyclist suffered injury. Four of the injuries were serious. Sgt Jim Heyworth, of Pennine Police Division said: "The majority of crashes occur when children run out into the roadway.

"If motorists kept their speed down casualties would reduce, the serious would become slight and the slight may never happen.''

Over 70 per cent of motorists break the speed limit on 30mph urban roads.

Hit at 20mph, one pedestrian in 10 is killed, but at 40 mph only one in ten survives.

Sgt Heyworth urged motorists to cut their speed and also pleaded with parents to educate their children on road safety, to show them the correct places to cross roads and for the children to be careful when out riding cycles.

Child Safety Week was a time to start changing the nature of driving and attitudes to other road users.

Sgt Heyworth added: "Let us think more about the manner of our driving and not just how quickly we can get from A to B.''

During this week's Child Safety Week, traffic wardens are giving extra attention to parking on zig-zag lines outside schools and police are "educating'' motorists on seat belt law and taking enforcement measures when appropriate.

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