Safety first for walk to school

IRELAND has surely changed massively since Alice Taylor was a child and her best-selling book, To School Through The Fields, describes a world that has long since disappeared.

In those times, every child walked to school, with some doing daily round trips of well over 10km in rural areas.

Daily traffic jams outside schools were still generations away and walking to school was a great way to learn about their locality, nature and wildlife, which many of today’s children lose out on.

Nowadays, studies show that one in four Irish children is obese. Chances are they are driven to and from school. So, as another school year begins, parents are being urged to assess the route to school and see if any changes can be made to form new, greener and healthier travel habits.

Green-Schools Travel has a programme which works with schools in rural and urban settings to encourage walking, cycling and scooting to school along with options such as park ‘n’ stride, carpooling and using public transport.

According to Jane Hackett, national manager of the Green-Schools Travel programme, the idea is that by working with pupils, parents and teachers there will be a reduction in congestion at school gates and an increase in walking and cycling to school. “The journey to school is a great time to get some exercise, meet new friends and learn about your local environment, and what better way than on foot or by bike,” she adds.

All very well, of course, but the first question that arises in any parent’s mind concerns safety. Cycle lanes are still few and far between and walking along rural roads, especially, is hazardous. It’s much safer for children to walk to school in urban areas which have footpaths and pedestrian crossings. Safety has to be improved for rural children.

Schools are asked to come up proposals to improve safety by getting pupils and teachers to walk around their school or local area with clipboards, paper and a camera to list areas for improvement.

The results of ‘’walkability audits’’ can be sent to the local council with a request to undertake improvements that might include repainting double yellow lines outside the school, putting up signs at school gates, asking parents to park away from the gates and cutting back bushes.

Meanwhile, those walking to school are told to always be bright and be seen, always stay on pavements or footpaths, use pedestrian crossings or lollipop wardens and be responsible near roads.