While child pedestrian casualties have fallen in the last 10 years, this is probably because children are increasingly kept away from traffic. Children using roads are at their most vulnerable when they first gain their independence, but may not have the road skills to match. Overall, they are most likely to become pedestrian casualties at 11, 12 and 13, (though the chances of a boy being killed as a pedestrian also peak around the age of eight).
Pedestrian training can help children to act more safely on the roads, but no child gets it right all the time. We have to make roads safer for children, and that means slower speeds and less traffic.
Walking is such an everyday activity that it is easy to take it for granted. Yet we don't walk nearly as much as we used to - about a fifth less than 20 years ago - and the loss of this exercise is a health concern. Walking to school helps children to keep fit now, and makes it more likely that they'll stay active when they are older. Younger children who walk to school with a parent or carer have the chance to build up their road sense over time, making them better prepared for independent journeys later on.
Parents may have difficulty in finding time to walk to school. One option is to arrange an escort rota - so that two or three families take turns in accompanying children. Some primary schools have taken this idea much further by setting up a 'walking bus'. This is a group of children, walking to school with two parent volunteers - a 'driver', who leads the way, and a 'conductor' at the rear. The walking bus follows a set route, stopping at agreed pick up points in the neighbourhood. Volunteers and children are kitted out with reflective clothing and a trolley can be used to carry bags. A number of safety checks are used in setting up schemes, for example:
Full guidelines for setting up a walking bus are available (see resource file below).
The following summary is based on a message posted by Geraint Jennings . It draws on materials that appear in A Safer Journey to School - a new website from UK DETR that can be accessed directly from here.
Ticket to walk
"The children love it," says Coreen King, a parent volunteer who regularly accompanies the walking bus to Wheatfields Junior School in St Albans. "They all chat about what they've been up to and what they watched on telly the night before." As an added incentive, children are given a sticker for every journey and can trade them for free goods in the school book shop.
Walk to school events
Many schools promote walking by taking part in national Walk to School Week when parents are encouraged to accompany their children on foot. Badges, stickers and other materials are available (see resource file). Some schools have gone on to run year-round campaigns for parents and children to 'walk a day a week'.
Pedestrian training
You can work with local authority road safety officers to provide practical pedestrian training for children as part of Personal, Social and Health Education. Effective training involves sessions at the roadside, rather than being purely classroom based. Many schemes train parent volunteers to work with pupils. It's important to convey to parents that children who have completed a series of sessions are not automatically 'roadworthy'. Pedestrian training should be a long term process with frequent, short sessions at different ages. There is a particular need to raise children's awareness about road safety as they approach secondary transfer. At this age, many children gain their independence and start to make longer journeys.
Feet first
At Waingel Copse School in Reading drivers leaving the school grounds are held back for 15 minutes at the end of the day until pedestrians and cyclists have left the site.
Traffic-free entrances
Children need to be able to walk safely into school without having to weave between vehicles coming in or out. Ideally there should be a separate, traffic-free entrance for walkers and cyclists. Where pedestrians and cyclists are using the same pathway, the space should be clearly divided. Entrances should be wide enough for several people to use them at once. Even without a separate entrance, arrangements at the end of the school day can prevent a free-for-all. One idea is to hold traffic back until children who are walking or cycling have left in safety.
Visible school clothing
School uniforms are often quite dark, making it difficult for children to be seen by drivers. Consider whether changes are needed. Some schools supply reflective badges and other accessories to children at discounted prices.
Storage space
Children may be coming by car because they have to carry heavy books, musical instruments or materials for classes. Providing plenty of locker space at school can reduce the amount they need to take home and make it easier to store coats and outdoor shoes. Think about whether changes can be made to the homework timetable to ensure that children don't have too much to carry on any one night.
Lollipop crossings
Schools can approach the local authority road safety department to request a school crossing patrol at a busy crossing point. The decision to provide a patrol will depend on the volume of traffic and the number of unaccompanied children using the crossing. If the council refuses a permanent patrol, they may agree to provide a temporary one, and see if the numbers using the crossing point increase over time. Schools can help with recruitment, which can be difficult.
Resource file
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Updated 30 October 1999