24 September 2002: Shocking survey results, released at the start of Road Safety Week in Britain, reveal that children who are most likely to be killed on roads (11-14 year olds) are taking enormous risks, such as crossing roads when texting on a mobile.

The survey, of thousands of school children in secondary schools across the country, was released in at the Houses of Parliament yesterday, in an event hosted by concerned MPs and TV presenter Nick Ross, with speeches from parents whose children have been killed and seriously injured by speeding drivers.

And as part of the safety awareness programme for the week, the Institute of Advanced Motorists warned that drivers who allow their speed to 'creep up' above 30mph on minor roads are unaware of the potentially fatal consequences, particularly for children.

"That extra five or six miles an hour doesn’t feel very fast when you are behind the wheel. And frankly, it will make little difference to your overall journey time," said IAM Chief Executive Christopher Bullock. "But if you hit a child at that speed, it could literally be the difference between life and death

"Statistics show that if you are driving within the 30mph speed limit, you are much less likely to kill a child. That’s not the case if you are going too fast. This is not a technical, legal matter, or a petty violation, but something that every driver should remember, especially on the approach to schools."

Mr Bullock cautioned that the growth of safety cameras may have a 'de-sensitising' side effect on motorists. "I would hate to think that drivers under pressure are tempted to make up their time by putting their foot down when they are driving in areas without speed cameras. Speed limits only really work by consensus; drivers should watch their speed, whether or not they are going to be caught on camera," he said.

The IAM was established in 1956 and more than 300,000 drivers and riders have taken and passed the IAM Advanced Driving Test.