THE RATE of road accidents near schools and crashes involving cyclists in Brighton and Hove is one of the worst in the country, a survey shows.

The city has ranked third worst in a table of research into accidents within 500 metres of schools between 2011 and 2013.

The figures about cities outside London were published by insurance company Axa and the Road Safety Analysis organisation.

The report said, in results measured by population, there was one casualty for every 426 people and one cyclist casualty for every 1,872 people near a school in the city.

Portsmouth was labelled the worst area in both categories, while Blackpool ranked highest for accidents involving children near schools.

According to the report, a total of 69% of all road collisions involving a child occur within 500 metres of a school.

Across the country there were 201 road accidents involving a child near a school every week and 257 cycling collisions near a school every week in the three years studied.

James Barclay, Axa spokesman, said: “Road safety is high on the agenda of every household. Nobody wants to hear about any child or adult injured let alone anybody who is killed as a result of a road incident.

“We firmly believe by releasing data users will have a real understanding of the risk associated with their local roads.”

School teachers and parents in Sussex have voiced their concerns about safety outside schools.

In May Christ Church Primary School, in Woodland Vale Road, St Leonards, saw pleas for their lollipop lady to be reinstated after two pupils, aged ten and eight, were knocked down by a van.

They were not badly hurt but school leaders called for action before people are seriously injured or killed.

Richard Owen, director of Road Safety Analysis, which is a not-for-profit consultancy, said: “Compiling data and information is one thing, but putting meaning behind it and helping to develop ways in which more lives can be saved is something very powerful.”