Killingworth dad Ian Stevens vividly remembers the call he received from his wife telling him that his daughter had been knocked over by a car.
The pair had been at a pedestrian crossing outside seven-year-old Lucy's school, Amberley Primary, when she was hit by a car.
Fortunately the young student only suffered minor injuries, mostly bruising and shock after rolling on the ground, but the moment has haunted the family since.
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Ian says the crossing on East Bailey is notoriously dangerous, and he has been pushing North Tyneside Council for road safety improvements since the incident in February 2021.
Ian said: "At the end of the day, if nothing is done, someone will get seriously injured.
"It's only by the grace of God, that our Lucy didn't hit her head on the kerb. And she still suffers flashbacks and is very wary around roads.
"I'll never forget the moment when I was told she'd got hit. No other parent needs to go through that, and that's why I'm going to continue fighting for more measures on both sides of the road."
The 51-year-old, who works as a trainer for Nexus, has asked the council to impose a 20mph zone along the East Bailey stretch, which would involve introducing bolder signage.
And he has been in talks with Killingworth councillor, Erin Parker Leonard, who he said agrees that the current black and white school zone signs are "ineffective".
They both suggest installing a rumble strip on the exit of the nearby roundabout to slow drivers, and have asked for the worn-out road markings to be repainted.
Ian said that other parents from the area share his concerns, because they've also had "close-calls" at the crossing.
A spokesperson for North Tyneside Council responded with: “We were very sorry to hear about the accident involving Mr Steven’s daughter last year, which was the result of reckless driving by one individual.
“Following a comprehensive review following the accident, we extended the timing of the lights to give pedestrians more time to cross, we repainted some of the road markings, and we are also about to install yellow rumble strips on the approach to the crossing in the coming weeks.
“While it is impossible to eradicate reckless driving, we do know from the surveys we have carried out that there is good compliance with the speed limit at this location and that the traffic lights are in good working order and motorists are using them properly.”
Ian has since said he welcomes the installation of the rumble strips, but would still like to see additional measures on the approach to the crossing and for the area to become a 20mph zone, replacing the current 20mph school safety zone.
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