Motorists have been urged to avoid driving too fast in built-up areas where there are lots of pedestrians.

According to a survey by Churchill Insurance and road safety charity Brake, nearly two-thirds of drivers believe roads in their area are not safe for families who are travelling by foot or on a bike.

Figures also showed that 16 per cent of motorists have experienced a near miss with a pedestrian or cyclist throughout the last year.

Many were also found to be conscious of the risks when they are travelling on foot rather than in their car, with 62 per cent saying that they are worried about being hit by a moving vehicle.

Drivers have therefore been urged to make built-up areas safer by reducing their speed to 20 mph when they are in the vicinity of shops, homes, schools and nurseries.

The issue is being put in the spotlight by Churchill and Brake in an initiative called Beep Beep! Day, which is aimed at children aged between two and seven who attend pre-schools, nurseries and children's centres.

Youngsters are given lots of fun activities that are designed to educate them in the basics of road safety, as well as increase awareness of the dangers among parents.

Gus Park, director of Churchill Car Insurance, said the organisation is very proud to be backing the initiative once again this year, as "too many children die or are seriously injured on our roads each day".

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive of Brake, added: "It's vital we make our roads safer for families and people of all ages to walk and cycle – and drivers can help bring this about."

According to figures from the Department for Transport, 48 children were killed and 1,932 suffered serious injuries on the UK's roads during 2013. 

This works out to five under-16s being killed or seriously hurt every day, which Ms Townsend said is "unacceptable".

However, she said it is equally wrong to "deny any child a healthy, active upbringing because of local dangers".

"Drivers acknowledge the risks families face on roads, but we also need drivers to realise the difference they personally can make and always drive as though a child could run out unexpectedly," Ms Townsend remarked.

Brake and Churchill went on to cite figures from the Office for National Statistics which show that traffic is the biggest non-medical killer of children in the UK, and the second biggest killer of this group overall.

The two organisations said this shows that people's concerns about the safety of families on Britain's roads are justified.

Ms Townsend said that with thousands of children currently gearing up for a Beep Beep! Day in the near future, drivers need to play their part and slow down to 20 mph in communities to "help save little lives".

Mr Park added that the initiative is a great way to educate youngsters about road safety and remind motorists that they need to drive with "extreme care" when children are in the area.