Why don't your children walk to school?

What would it take for you to abandon the school drop-off and let your kids walk to the playground instead?

If improved road safety is what you see as the top priority then you are with the majority of mum and dads.

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With the horrifying statistics of 53 children under 16 killed and 2029 seriously injured on British roads in 2014 they have a valid point.

But chronic congestion around the school gates is an issue in most towns while the calls for children to take more exercise grow louder each year.

And while walking to school could solve both of these an emphatic 70 per cent of parents believe it is just too great a risk to let the kids stride out on their own.

It’s a situation national road safety charity Brake would like to see a u-turn on.

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This week saw the build-up to Brake’s annual ‘Giant Walk’, supported by insurance provider Ageas, with hundreds of pupils across Scotland holding walking events to celebrate road safety and highlight all the benefits that walking and cycling can bring.

But it comes in the shadow of survey which shows how frightened families are of traffic and drivers failing to slow down and look out for people on foot and bike. The key findings were:

○50% of our children are driven to school;

○72% of families think more children would walk/cycle if routes to school were safer;

○35% of parents are scared of traffic in their neighbourhood;

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○70% of those surveyed want more walking paths and dedicated cycle paths;

○20% of drivers admit they break a 20mph every week.

Brake wants more people to choose to walk or cycle, if they can, and to encourage people to do this, is urging lower speed limits, dedicated cycle lanes, wide pavements and safe places to cross the road.

What would it take for you to let the kids walk to school? Let us know.

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