Boy, 11, wins sign contest to deter speeding drivers

A BOY from Woodcote designed and installed a sign to deter speeding drivers.

Will Nicholson, 11, who goes to Woodcote Primary School, won an Oxfordshire County Council competition last year.

The triangle sign, which has been installed in Reading Road, features the words “Stop”, “Look” and “Listen” in each corner, has a road in the centre and uses blue, green and red colours. Will was taught about road safety by Milestone Infrastructure, the county council’s highways maintenance contractor, before creating the sign.

He said: “I put in the stuff that I learnt about road safety — stop, look and listen — 20mph and I had some fun, using my favourite colours.”

Will found out that he had won the competition while waiting for a flight in Queenstown airport.

He said: “We went to New Zealand for a family wedding and we were sitting at a table waiting for our flight and Mum got a message from one of her friends which said I had won a competition at school. She was proud and in shock.

“I had forgotten which competition it was and had to ask my mum, so I was quite surprised and happy when I found out because I’m not the most artistic.”

Will, who mostly walks home from school, thought it was important to take part in the competition because of speeding cars through the village.

He added: “We live in a village and we have to go 20mph but not everybody does that and it can sometimes be dangerous.”