Get Moving! Safe Routes to Schools & School Travel Plans.

How does your child travel to school? Do they want to cycle, but you are worried about road safety?
The SUSTRANS conference at Dynamic Earth on September 29th looked at some of the issues surrounding the journey to and from school.

A one day conference at Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh
Wednesday 29th September 2004

Delegates came from schools – pupils, teachers and parents – as well as from local authorities, the NHS and consultancies. It was a very interactive day with lots of time for questions and answers and there were several presentations from school pupils.

Chatelherault Primary started with a presentation about their walking bus and parents and children from Sciennes Primary told us how they had got lots of pupils cycling to school. Their cycle scheme was very well organized and had been running for seven years with help from Cycling Scotland and the Bike Station. The school had been able to keep a high profile within the school as road safety was part of the curriculum. The scheme includes on-road training, a secondhand bike sale and cycle workshops where pupils can learn about basic maintenance. Charleston Academy told delegates about the various road safety initiatives at their school. These included promoting different speed limits at specific times, traffic islands, flashing signs and improved bike parking facilities. The pupils also had ideas for the future and seemed very determined to see these through.

The pupils were asked what benefits came from the walking bus. One girl said that as she was more awake when she got to school, she got better marks in her mental maths test! They also said it was great to chat to each other and the helpers as they walked.

Here are some thoughts and ideas from the day:-

• Its important to have a proactive Headteacher to get ideas off the ground and to have someone who is a real “road safety champion” in the school.

• When you’re trying to sell cycling and/or walking to school to parents, remind them of how they got to school and the freedom they had. Appeal to their nostalgic side!

• Did you know that children who have had good cycle training need less driving lessons? Think of the money you could save.

• We heard from a speaker from New Zealand that – “Marketing Matters”! Once parents and others can see the benefit of healthier ways of traveling then they’ll get on board. Promote your scheme as much as possible with posters, etc. Get the children involved – if they are enthusiastic they will tell everyone. Get your local media involved to show off your road safety projects.

• Schools, parents and pupils need to realize that the risks and responsibilities of the journey to school should be shared. At the moment everyone tends to leave it to everyone else. (This came from a Headteacher).

• Californian research has shown that fit and healthy children will tend to achieve more in school.

• Schools in Scotland are encouraged to become “health promoting”. Link this to your road safety initiatives. Example: pedometers to measure how many calories are used on the walk/cycle to school. South Lanarkshire pupils used pedometers for a virtual journey. They wanted to work out how long it would take them to walk the equivalent of the journey from John ‘o Groats to Lands End. The pupils are so enthusiastic that they are now half way across Europe!

• Don’t forget about those young people in secondary schools who have just passed their driving test.

• Ask other local authorities what they are doing. South Lanarkshire is really innovative with such things as Park Smart, (see our Info Shop for more details), Park & Stride areas, water and snacks for their Walking Bus schemes, proposals for Junior Traffic Wardens to check on the traffic outside schools and Kerbcraft training.

If you want more information on road safety, school travel plans, etc go to the following website:-

www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk

Report by Eleanor Coner