Call to get more kids walking to school
A charity is calling for more to be done to encourage children to walk to and from school.
Environmental charity Living Streets says pupils who walk to school are more engaged with their streets and aware of the impact of cars than those who don’t, following new research for International Walk to School Month which starts today.
Living Streets commissioned the research in which children were asked what would make a good walk to school. Answers included: *Cars not being allowed to wait or park by the school (74%) *Lower speed limits (67%) *Fewer cars and less traffic (67%)
*Stop cars from parking on the pavement (71%) *Cleaner air (65%) Dr Rachel Lee, Policy and Research Coordinator, Living Streets said: “Children who walk to school confirm what we’ve been telling decision-makers for years. Better streets for walking have slower traffic, fewer cars, uncluttered and cleaner pavements.
“We also know that better streets encourage more walking. Walking to school isn’t just beneficial physical activity, it brings families and communities together and reduces the environmental impact of road transport.”
Living Streets wants more to be done to enable those who want to walk to protect the planet to be able to do so. Just 51% of primary school pupils in England currently walk to school.
Dr Lee added: “Walking everyday journeys needs to be part of the solution to the climate emergency. It’s the healthiest, most environmentally-friendly way to make short journeys.