Nowadays, fewer and fewer people are walking to school; in 1969, 42% of students walked to school, yet in 2001, 0nly 16 percent of students walked to school. Drivers, you probably are familiar with the morning commute, where the traffic slow to a crawl. 20 to 25% of this is caused by children being driven to school!
One reason for this shift is distance. A generation ago, schools were small, located in community centers; now, there are mega-schools, located on the edge of towns where the land is cheaper. Although distance accounts for 61.5% of parents' concerns, it isn't the only problem, as from 1969 to 2001, the percentage of students living within 1 mile of the school dropped from 87% to 63%: over one fifth!
Another barrier some (30%) parents feel exist is traffic danger. This leads parents to drive their children to school, creating even more traffic and feeding the cycle. Anyhow, this concern isn't even valid. In 2004, 493 pedestrians and bicyclists ages 14 and under were killed, and approximately 29,000 children were injured while walking or bicycling in the United States. Sure these are large numbers, but motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for school-age children. In the United States during 2004, 1,638 children ages 14 and under were killed and 246,000 children were injured as motor vehicle occupants.
The third main concern was weather, which accounted for 18.6% of parents' concerns. However, the weather hasn't changed much since the time when almost half the population walked to school. Programs have been set up in all kinds of climates, whether it is freezing cold every other day, or if its never winter.
Parents (at least 11.7%) most fear child kidnapping and assault. However, according to the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, kidnappings make up less than 2% of all violent crimes against people under 18 years old and only 4 percent of all kidnappings occur in the vicinity of a school.
Regardless, some schools or communities do enforce school policies that prohibit children from walking and bicycling to school. The solution may be to change the school’s policy to address safety issues rather than permanently ban walking and bicycling to school.
So, most of the reasons stated by parents are invalid. Make the right choice. Walk or Bike to School.
Posts
I remember growing up where almost everyone of us walked to school, since 1st grade. Along the way we got to talk, to play a bit and overall get some exercise as well.
ReplyDeleteNow that being more environmentally conscientious, I also see more and more students in the neighborhood starting to take the step and walk/bike to school. Personally I think biking is more dangerous because you have to share road with the car. Walking on the other hand, afford the greatest flexibility, exercise the most and gives you the best opportunity to bond with your fellow friends.
I congratulate you in taking the initiative by walking to school already!