Did your mum and dad walk or bike to school when they were young? They probably did. Thirty years ago, two out of three children walked to school.
However things have changed. Nowadays four out of every five of pupils fall well short of the recommended one hour of physical activity on most days.
One good reason for walking or biking to school is that it gives you the exercise that you need and a sense of freedom to enjoy fresh air. It is also an opportunity to get to look around and arrive at school alert, refreshed and ready for the day ahead.
As many as one in four cars in the morning traffic are due to parents driving their children to school. As a result, traffic congestion has increased around schools, prompting even more parents to drive their children to school!
Too often, when drivers are in a hurry – like when they're trying to get their children to school – they forget that they are driving a potentially dangerous weapon. Even good drivers must watch out for pupils running out in front of them.
Improvements at your school
What could be done to make it safer to come to school? Here are just a few suggestions.
- Erect extra signs on the roads leading to the schools, for example 'Twenty's Plenty' speed reductions.
- Combine these speed reductions with work in the personal, social and health education curriculum to increase overall effectiveness, for example reflectors dangling from school bags, Highway Code lessons in PSHE.
- Send out driver's safety alerts to parents and the surrounding community and tell parents about the school policy on 'drop offs'.
- Headteachers should clearly define the school's 'drop off' policies and then strictly enforce them, for example safe bus stops and pick up points or banned car drop off points.
- The traffic laws on school routes should be enforced by the police whenever possible, for example 'sleeping policemen' (or even real ones), narrowing of roads to slow down traffic.
- Safe crossing possibilities for children, for example traffic lights with short waiting times for pedestrians.
- A clear view without obstacles between car drivers and children.
- Safe pedestrian paths and safe cycle paths.
There are many benefits from getting involved in a Safe Routes to School programme including:
- improving the health of pupils and the wider school community
- promoting fitness through walking and biking to school
- reducing traffic and pollution, helping to create a cleaner environment
- targetting safety concerns of parents by encouraging greater enforcement of traffic laws and exploring ways to create safer streets.
Activities to try in your school
1. Find out which roads are used most often by fellow pupil pedestrians and highlight any danger spots. Plan how these places could be made safer.
2. Pupils are at risk from road accidents when travelling to and from school. How could you encourage them to behave safely on and near the road?
3. Write a story about bike safety with 'hints 'n' tips' to encourage safe cycling on the roads to school.
4. Design a cool bike helmet which not only looks good but does the job. Also write about the injuries you would suffer if you didn't wear a helmet.
5. Conduct a survey of older pupils to find out what influences their choice of transport. Do they feel that biking is only for younger kids? Do they think riding in a car makes them more mature? Are they aware of the environmental effect their choice has?
6. What about the effect that a pupil being knocked down has on those involved? Look at it from the point of view of:
- the pupil knocked down
- the driver
- the parents
- the school
- the police
- the hospital
- the friends of the pupil.
Useful web links
- Safe Routes to Schools
The Safe Routes to Schools website produced by Sustrans has lots of information about projects for your school. - Streetwise Guys
The Streetwise Guys website is produced by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign and has interactive games and activities relating to road safety. - Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs is an interactive road safety website from the UK Department of Transport. - Walk to School
Walk to School is the official website of the annual UK and international Walk to School Week and has information for children, parents and teachers.
