New research, released for Walk to School Week, has found that ‘unsafe driving speeds’ are preventing parents and other adults from walking kids to school.
The survey, commissioned by Living Streets, asked parents/carers of 5–11-year-olds about their attitudes towards walking to school. Mums were particularly worried about the safety of the school gates, with nearly a quarter (23%) saying they find it ‘very unsafe’.
Some 21% of respondents described ‘unsafe driving speeds’ as a major nuisance preventing them from walking kids to school, while other reasons included a lack of safe crossings (25%), parents’ lack of time (25%) and cars/vehicles parked on the pavement (24%).
Parents and carers were also asked what benefits their child experiences from walking regularly.
Respondents answered physical health benefits (76%), improved wellbeing (64%), quality time spent with family (62%) and improved road safety skills (58%).
More than 280,000 children across the UK will celebrate 2024 Walk to School Week (20-24 May), organised by Living Streets.
Families are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ for the whole week to ‘see the big differences that come from small steps’, from healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.
This year’s challenge, The Magic of Walking, encourages children to travel actively to school every day of the week. Meeting various magical beings along the way, children will learn about how active travel benefits individuals, communities and the planet.
Katherine Holcroft leads on Living Streets’ walk to school programme. She said: “Getting out of the front door in the morning with kids can be hectic, so it’s no surprise that parents say a lack of time stops them from walking to school. However, walking can actually save families time by swapping the last ten minutes sitting in traffic for a walk instead.
“Walk to School Week is a great opportunity for families to give it a go. And with more people walking, rather than driving, there will be fewer speeding vehicles and cars blocking pavements – making it even easier and more pleasant to walk to school.”
Research? Survey? Questionnaire? I think we should be told – and it should be readily accessible. I do believe that walking to school is a Good Thing (I didn’t do anything else when I was at primary school – and the roads (judging by road traffic accident data) were very much more dangerous than they are now.) Surely walking to school is something that should be encouraged for its own sake, and road safety should not be used as a reason for doing it or not. After all, the school gates are NOT the highly dangerous places they are assumed to be. Adults escorting their children to school can cope with “unsafe driving speeds” and cycling to school should not be encouraged until children are mature enough to cope with roads. I fear that “road safety” is being used as an excuse (as opposed to a reason) for not walking to school. But I could be wrong …
Fraser Andrew, STIRLING
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