THE mum of a 12-year-old girl who was struck by a car outside a school in Stevenston says she's been left "shaking with anger" over council bosses' attitude towards "obsolete" road signs near the scene of the crash.

Lianne Moloney's daughter was rushed to hospital after the accident on Saltcoats Road, outside Auchenharvie Academy, last year.

Lianne says she was told by North Ayrshire Council officials that "neither driver speed nor behaviour was considered to be a contributing factor" in the accident.

And members of the Academy's parent council say more needs to be done to improve driver behaviour in the area - and are lobbying council bosses to have a broken warning sign near the school repaired or replaced.

The 20mph sign outside Auchenharvie Academy on Saltcoats Road is designed to flash when the speed limit is in operation - during the start and end of the school day, and lunch hours.

However, the flashing lights on the sign are no longer operational.

 

Lianne said her daughter "almost lost her life" in the accident last September.

"She had a brain bleed and bruising and had to have a craniotomy," Lianne said.

"She was put in an induced coma for two days.

"She had a broken clavicle and laceration to her kidney and spleen. She is doing good but is having neuro rehab."

In light of the incident, the parent council from the school has launched a petition to repair or replace the "obselete" signage currently in place

Their petition is available online at https://chng.it/9pxTw5rzKP.

The group say they have also been in touch with the council's roads department to raise their concerns.

The parent council, however, says it's been told by North Ayrshire Council bosses that the local authority is "now unable to reprogramme or repair the flashing 20s [signs] across North Ayrshire as they are now obsolete and no companies can supply the necessary parts to make the signs operational".

They added that vehicle speeds have been surveyed outside a number of schools to determine driver behaviour in these locations.

NAC bosses told the parent council: "Analysis of the results indicates that flashing 20s are not themselves effective in slowing vehicle speeds.

"However, the results indicate that regardless of whether the signs are operational or not, there is a reduction in average vehicle speeds during school drop-off and school pick-up times.

"The signage still acts as a reminder to drivers to be aware of their vehicle speed, and has been left in place until the requirement for alternative measures can be considered in addition to replacement and/or removal of signage outside schools across North Ayrshire."

Lianne says she was told that "neither driver speed nor behaviour was considered to be a contributing factor" in the accident that left her daughter in hospital.

It's understood that there have been three accidents on the stretch of road outside the Academy in the last five years.

Lianne said: "I am shaking with anger. I can't believe they said the obsolete signage is sufficient when in the area.

"There is two schools, one of them for additional support needs, houses, a supermarket, the slaughterhouse, a caravan site. It's a really busy main road."

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “As these signs are now almost 20 years old, replacement parts are more difficult to source, so we will shortly be carrying out an assessment of the area to determine what measures are required.

“This assessment will consider accident history, sightlines, crossing facilities and actual traffic speed measurements - assessing driver behaviour when pupils are accessing and leaving school – to help determine whether additional measures are required to reduce vehicle speed at the location.”