NEXT time 11-year-old Rose Archer sees a careful driver taking a moment to slow down on the stretch of road outside her school, she can feel very proud of herself.

And with good reason, because she is one of several local schoolchildren whose road safety designs and slogans have been made into full-size road signs, exhorting drivers to cut their speed.

The eye-catching speed limit signs form an important part of a traffic-calming scheme to improve road safety on Salisbury's Bishopdown estate.

Rose, a pupil at St Mark's Junior School, came up with the idea for her slogan - 'If you drive fast, people won't last' - in class.

"It was the first idea that came into my head," she said.

But her simple message and bold design impressed the judges, who thought that her idea would be just the thing to make drivers think twice.

The scheme, which is now complete, creates a 20mph zone on the Bishopdown estate, with a total of 30 speed-reducing features, including mini roundabouts, traffic priority measures and raised junctions.

The scheme also includes a number of safer crossing points and improved bus-stop facilities.

The aim is to make the area's roads safer for pedestrians and encourage people to use environmentally friendly modes of transport, such as walking and cycling.

The scheme also aims to discourage motorists from using the estate as a rat run.

The Salisbury Joint Transportation Team, a partnership between Wiltshire county council and Salisbury district council, has devised the scheme.

The project was proposed after residents expressed concerns about speeding traffic.

The Joint Transportation Team has been working closely with local people and their representatives on the scheme.

County council leader Peter Chalke said: "Residents of Bishopdown have been campaigning for measures to reduce the speed of traffic for some time and they have welcomed this scheme.

"By introducing a 20mph speed limit, along with traffic-calming measures, the scheme will encourage drivers to slow down and make Bishopdown's roads safer."

Rose will have plenty of opportunity to watch her artwork in action. She is driven past the sign every day on her way to school.

Joining Rose to admire the finished 20mph sign were runners-up Jake Pearson and Luke Raggett, whose slogans earned them vouchers to spend.