Pupils from a primary school in Cambridge have been celebrating the strides they’ve made to improve their health and congestion in and around their school – with the help of local MP Daniel Zeichner.
Pupils from St Luke’s Primary School have been participating in International Walk to School Month this October – organised to help children across the globe celebrate the walk to school.
On 5 October, the pupils shared with Daniel Zeichner MP the benefits they’ve experienced while walking to school – from feeling healthier and catching up with friends to reducing the number of cars outside the school gates.
Daniel Zeichner MP said: “It was fantastic to meet with pupils at St Luke’s Primary School to find out about their walk to school. I’m sure they’ll inspire even more families to follow in their footsteps this International Walk to School Month – and beyond.
“There are clear benefits on offer for children when they walk to school. It’s a chance for them to move more and get some exercise – great for their physical and mental health.
“At the same time, the local community benefits from less congestion, improved air quality and safer streets.”
St Luke’s Primary School also takes part in WOW – the year-round walk to school challenge organised by Living Streets. WOW rewards children who walk to school at least once a week with collectable badges, with analysis suggesting the scheme increases walk to school rates by 23%.
On 1 October, Living Streets called for new measures to reduce the number of vehicles on the school run, on the back of figures showing more than half of parents believe there are too many cars around school gates.
Joe Irvin, chief executive of Living Streets, said: “Motor vehicles are the biggest source of roadside air pollution and one in four cars on the road at peak times are on the school run. Put simply – more children walking to school means fewer cars on our roads.
“We need to see many more measures which make it possible for families to walk to school: lower speed limits, better crossings, constraints on pavement parking.
“I’m delighted Daniel Zeichner MP joined pupils today to see how important the walk to school is, and why we need to prioritise making it safer and easier for families.”
“One in four cars on the road at peak time are on the school run”. Around my way one can definitely say that some 95% of all traffic at peak time is on the school run. Its amazing just how quiet our roads are at holiday time. Peaceful and a hell of a lot safer with so little traffic. Just wish it were like that all the time.
R.Craven
0
Why don’t parents have the common sense to first of all hold hand with their children, more particularly those of tender years and or to walk on the road side on the pavement so that they are between the child and the road. So many times in my travels I see young mothers walking their children and the child would be no more than 5 years of age, many well under that and the child maybe walking on their own some 20 or 30 ft away from their parent. The child cannot be controlled properly at that distance.
Further it would be a good idea for children and young people of school age, under 16 years, to learn to walk on the side of the road facing the oncoming traffic. In this way they can see more easily see and and possibly identify the dangers of vehicles approaching as opposed to just stepping out without looking or turning round to view traffic approaching from behind, which on many instances they don’t. This simple change in position would reduce the risk of children walking out in front of traffic and make the roads safer.
It obviously goes without saying that safety advice should be given with regards to their use of phones or being engaged other social media sites on whatever device they have in their hand. The road is a dangerous enough place but made more so by the use of hand held devises and of the interruption of necessary attention that it causes both to drivers and pedestrians alike.
R.Craven
0