Drivers are being urged to limit their speed to 20mph around schools

Wendy Logan helped launch the campaign by charity Brake outside the school in Kirkcaldy where her son Gordon died.

Brake highlighted a series of proposals as part of National Road Safety Week, including more 20mph zones, crossings and speed cameras.

The executive said £50m over five years had already been earmarked for school safety projects, including 20mph zones.

Brake recently carried out a survey in a bid to discover the level of fear children have of traffic.

Out of 600 children interviewed in Scotland, half said the road between their home and school was dangerous.

Speeding traffic

Two thirds believed traffic on that route needed to be slowed down and more than 70% said they did not walk or cycle to school because of fast traffic.

Mrs Logan's son was 10 when he was struck by a car speeding at 86mph last year.

She said: "Most drivers think it's okay to speed a little bit and never think they will kill a child.

Wendy Logan's son Gordon, who died in a road accident

"I am helping to launch Road Safety Week to convince drivers, once and for all, to drive at 20mph or slower around schools and homes.

"If every driver across Scotland makes this commitment today, we will be working as a community to stop needless tragedies like the death of my son."

With 24 children killed or seriously injured in Scotland every month, Brake said it was time for 20mph zones and speed cameras at every school and more pedestrian crossings and crossing patrols.

Try to imagine how hard it is coping if you are a parent whose child has been killed Mary Williams Brake

"Gordon's death caused indescribable suffering to my family and the pain never goes away," she added.

Chief executive Mary Williams said: "It is unacceptable that our children live in fear of traffic, but it is worse that their fear is legitimate - a child is hurt or killed on UK roads every 16 minutes.

"Drivers give all sorts of excuses for speeding and tell us it is hard to stay under limits all the time.

"Try to imagine how hard it is coping if you are a parent whose child has been killed, or been paralysed for life."

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said it was providing nearly £50m to local authorities between 2003 and 2008 for 20mph schemes around schools and home zones.