A mum whose four-year-old daughter was clipped by a speeding car on her way to school is campaigning to make the road safer.

Hundreds of people have signed Karen Alabaster-Oliver’s petition which calls for the speed limit to be lowered in Roseacre Lane, a busy route for children walking to Thurnham Infant School.

The 37-year-old graphic designer was at the junction with Tower Lane where she lives, with twin girls Tiani and Lilly and four-month-old baby Fynley when they were victims of a near-miss.

She said: “There was a BMW coming down the road, which swerved to avoid a dust cart due to excessive speed.

“It literally scuffed Tiani’s coat and made no attempt to brake.

“She was petrified, she was in tears. She kept saying ‘mummy, mummy, it wasn’t my fault’. It makes you feel so worried.

“A split second or another inch nearer the road and she would not have made it to school.”

Mrs Alabaster-Oliver’s petition asks Kent County Council to reduce the speed limit from 30mph to 20 on the lane, which has few footpaths and is used as a shortcut from Ashford Road to Ware Street and the M20.

She also wants KCC to consider introducing speed cushions or electronic signs.

In just 24 hours it received more than 100 signatures and that number was in excess of 400 when Mrs Alabaster-Oliver presented it to Bearsted parish councillors on Tuesday night.

She said: “Having spoken to mums, old people and other residents the minimum people want is a reduction in the speed limit.

“Everyone seems to have a story about that road, and several that I spoke to have been clipped by a car. The feeling is that nothing will be done until someone dies but when that happens it is too late – you can’t get a life back.”

A spokesman for Kent County Council said: “We have to make tough decisions on where to improve traffic and road safety in local areas.

“We’ll let the community representative know within 20 working days whether we can take the request any further.”

To sign the petition visit www.tinyurl.com/roseacre and more on the campaign at Facebook.com/groups/rltcc