Doctors demand 20mph speed limit in built-up areas

LOWER speed limits in built-up areas should be introduced by the Scottish Government to help improve children’s health, according to doctors.
The RCPCH believes a 20mph speed limit will encourage children to walk, scoot or cycle to school. Picture: Cate GillonThe RCPCH believes a 20mph speed limit will encourage children to walk, scoot or cycle to school. Picture: Cate Gillon
The RCPCH believes a 20mph speed limit will encourage children to walk, scoot or cycle to school. Picture: Cate Gillon

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) believes that introducing a 20mph speed limit in built-up areas will promote safe play and encourage children to walk, scoot or cycle to school.

The measure is set out in its Vision 2016 manifesto ahead of next year’s Holyrood elections. It calls for “bold policies” to make child health in Scotland “comparable to the best in the world”.

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Other proposals include implementing minimum unit pricing for alcohol and developing education programmes for parents on the dangers of alcohol use in pregnancy.

The RCPCH also wants the government to commission high-quality research dedicated to interventions to reduce inequalities, ensure access to grants and advice for families most in need, and increase the amount spent on child mental health services.

Over a quarter of Scottish children are overweight or obese, it says.

Dr Peter Fowlie, officer for Scotland for the RCPCH, said: “Whilst our nation has much to be proud of when it comes to improving children’s health, it still has some of the poorest health in Western Europe, particularly relating to child obesity and child mortality levels.

“Deprivation is often at the root of the problem with children living in poverty more likely to be overweight or obese, be born with low birth weight and have parents that smoke heavily or drink alcohol.

“It’s clear we need to take action to reduce child health inequalities and a child health strategy which cuts across all government departments could do that.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “Our priority is to ensure that all children have the best possible start in life but we know there remains much to do.”