Parking outside schools is a widely debated issue.

There is an argument that parents living nearby can walk their child to school rather than dropping them off outside the entrance, but there may be other reasons – such as a disability – why they need to take the car.

The most important thing to consider is that wherever parents park when dropping their child off at school, they must respect fellow road users and nearby residents by acknowledging any restrictions and park safely and sensibly without causing an obstruction.

CCTV or ‘spy cars’, such as the one introduced by Bradford Council in June to patrol schools and other illegal parking hot-spots, should be a deterrent.

But a malfunction with the spy car equipment led to fines being doled out incorrectly. Five motorists who had been fined during that time have since had their money returned, and the £49,950 vehicle has been repaired.

Common sense should prevail and the message to all is to adhere to restrictions and park safely and sensibly. Children don’t need to be dropped off at the school door – they need exercise and, most importantly, they need to stay safe. Abusing parking restrictions is causing a potential risk to children’s safety.

Bradford driving instructor, Chris Smith, decided to take matters into his own hands after he and his young child narrowly missed being knocked down after being forced to cross the road between cars that were parked in a restricted area outside his child’s school.

He claims parents are parking on zig zags and yellow lines outside school which are time restricted with no waiting, no stopping and no dropping off.

“When we stepped out, a car was coming too fast and it nearly took both of us out, it was so close,” he says.

Chris’s concerns about the abuse of parking restrictions outside schools prompted him to set up a Facebook page on which he posts photographs of cars parked on restricted areas in the hope it may deter them from doing it.

Since launching the site last week, he says he has had more than 60,000 hits. He has received mixed responses but he maintains he is taking action for the sake of his child and other people’s children.

“I am a concerned parent who doesn’t want to see my child or their child knocked over,” he adds.

According to statistics, 23 children are run over and hurt when walking or cycling to or from school daily in the UK.

Four of these are killed or suffer serious injury, often they are left with life-long injuries.

In June, thousands of children from hundreds of primary schools throughout the UK marched for safer roads, encouraging drivers to reduce their speed to 20mph near schools, homes and shops, to protect children, cyclists and pedestrians, as part of the Giant Walking Bus scheme organised by the road safety charity Brake.

Sarah-Jane Martin, from Brake, says: “We encourage drivers to drive slowly, well within the speed limit in communities, around homes and schools; this is to ensure the safety of all road users, including children. It’s essential that people take care to only park in designated areas to keep everyone safe.

“Brake calls for 20mph limits to be enforced around schools to make the roads safer for kids and parents on foot and bike, making communities safer, happier places to live.”

Siobhan Freegard, founder of parenting site Netmums says: “Bad parking outside schools is a serious matter and can put children’s lives in danger. Every school has seen incidents where parents park on double yellow lines and on the zig zag markings meant to protect road crossings.

“Though it may save parents a few minutes, it is selfish and means children have very restricted visibility when trying to cross the road.

“If you absolutely need to drive your children to school, then park a few minutes away. It’s healthier for you and your child, and leaves the space around the school free for children to see. If all parents did this, then there would be no need for wardens or spycams to catch them out.

“Many schools now operate a parent volunteer ‘ranger’ system – who move on bad parkers. But it shouldn't be necessary – its sheer ignorance and parents should park their bad habit before a child gets killed.”