20's Plenty!

20's Plenty is a scheme that aims to provide a safer environment for parents and children outside schools by creating School Safety Zones and advising motorists not to exceed 20 mph

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Campaign history

2007
Work is currently underway to create 30 more School Safety Zones with 20mph advisory speed limits outside rural schools in Suffolk.

2006
Following a successful 20's Plenty Pilot project outside schools in Ipswich, the scheme has been extended across Suffolk.

All schools in Suffolk can request to go on the list for a School Safety Zone but only schools meeting current criteria will be eligible. A request for a zone can come from a Councillor, Parish Council or a school. Ideally, the school will have a School Travel Plan and there will be a reported speeding problem and a clear need for children to cross directly outside the school. Cul-de-sacs are not included in this scheme as they have no through traffic. The number of school zones to be introduced in any one year will be determined by the budget allocation each year.

Due to many rural schools being located within conservation or environmentally sensitive areas the safety zones will be in the form of a "gateway" featuring entry and exit signs with coloured anti-skid surfacing. In urban locations there will be coloured signs/plates or "dragon's teeth".

The new speed limits are advisory only and cannot be enforced by the police but they act as an additional driver warning in conjunction with the 30 mph (legally maximum) speed limits and the "School" signs currently in place. The school zones will, as advised by the police, only cover the school frontage and any additional highway/road on which the school may have a gate - pedestrian and/or vehicular entrance.

The sites that have received the new speed limits have reported better driver awareness of the schools location and heeding of the additional warnings. The maximum legal speed past most schools will remain 30 mph and will continue to be enforced by the police.

This year Safety Zones with 20mph advisory speed limits were established outside 24 rural school entrances.

2005
Following the successful implementation of School Safety Zones during phase one of the project in 2004, phase two was re-launched for 2005, again with the support of players from Ipswich Town FC, this time with members of the successful Youth Team, who had recently won the FA Youth Cup.

This second group of schools were situated in areas that had recorded accidents at their entrances and where there were instances of high speeds. Six schools received 20mph zone treatment, which consisted of more extensive works and mandatory 20 mph speed limits.

Above left : Pupils at Sidegate Lane CP welcome Town Youth Team stars

Bus campaign
A bus back campaign also publicised "20's Plenty" around Ipswich. This striking image left drivers in no doubt about the road safety message! The bus toured the town's street for four months.

The campaign continues to enjoy support from Ipswich Town Football Club with Match Official sponsorship agreed for the 2005-2006 season. This includes scoreboard and PA announcements, as well as programme and ground advertising.

2004
The project got off to a good start with a press picture of children creating a giant number "20" on their playground . Ipswich Town FC also lent their support to this road safety initiative.  

Signs, lines and an advisory 20 mph speed limit established "School Safety Zones" outside twenty schools. The Zones were publicised using the marketing brand, "20's Plenty!"

Click here to download 20's Plenty leaflet pictured above as a PDF.

2003
Speed checks were carried out at every school in Ipswich during July 2003 and three specific groups of schools were identified. Schools in the first group had average speeds above 20mph and these were selected for treatment. Plans and schedules were drawn up.

Downloads

Location of 20's Plenty Schools (PDF)