A SERIOUS cycling accident involving an Abingdon schoolboy has prompted further calls from teachers and parents to improve safety on the town’s roads.

The 14-year-old pupil from Fitzharrys School suffered a broken leg after a collision with a car in Dunmore Road just before 5pm last Wednesday.

The incident, during the first week of the new school term, follows the deaths of two school pupils in cycling accidents in the town during the past year.

Schools had already mounted a campaign for improved road safety, but now parents of new pupils just starting at secondary school have added their voices to the call.

Susan Tranter, headteacher at Fitzharrys School, said: “After everything that has happened during the last year, and now another accident within the first week of the school term, it’s clear that something has to be done.

“Thankfully, this youngster was all right this time, but it is a serious injury and who knows what could happen in the future?

“We need to increase cycling routes around Abingdon and look at the speed limits. I also think motorists need to be made more bike aware.”

Mandy Wooloff, 43, of Drayton Road, Abingdon, who has two daughters at Fitzharrys School, said: “Cycling safety in Abingdon is horrendous. I’ve seen many near misses involving cyclists.”

Amanda Devitt, 33, of Milton, who has a daughter at the school, added: “I would love for my daughter to be able to cycle to school but there’s no way I would let her.”

During the five years up until the end of July there have been 11 accidents on Dunmore Road, which has a 40mph speed limit. Nine of these were slight injuries and two resulted in serious injury. One resulted in slight injury to a cyclist and one was a serious injury to a child.

In July, Larkmead School pupil Ty-Ree Partridge, 11, was killed after a collision involving a van in Copenhagen Drive as she cycled home from a science club. Nine months earlier fellow pupil Sarah Waterhouse, 17, died in a cycle accident in Colwell Drive.

Deputy headteacher at Larkmead School, Jonathan Dennett, said: “Already this term we’ve had a number of parents approach us with ideas to improve safety in the town and we’re lobbying the county council to do so.

“In the next few weeks there will be a meeting of local schools to discuss the ideas.”

Owen Morton, a spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council, said: “The council is close to finalising a list of improvements to cycle routes in Abingdon and has £35,000 to spend. We are looking to press ahead with these improvements as soon as possible.”

bellery@oxfordmail.co.uk