The academic year has begun, the school year has begun, and we have all returned from vacations. We are in a hurry every morning, but it turns out that it is worth it to just walk to school.
Would you easily agree to let your child go to school alone? No matter where you live, how long the route is, by what means you take it. If you wonder for even a moment whether it's safe to do so, we need to talk about how we designed our cities.
From a legal point of view, as of August 19, 2024, any child who has reached the age of 7 can walk independently and return from school only when accompanied by someone who has reached the age of at least 10. That is... can use the road, because with the school it varies. Many schools raise this age limit in their statuses, and many parents are also not convinced that such a child can go to school by himself.
The World Health Organization recommends getting to the educational institution actively. This means walking, biking or any other active mode of travel that provides an alternative to motorized transportation[1]. Unfortunately, the number of children traveling independently is declining. This fact is not surprising if we consider the trends related to increasing motorization, urban sprawl - and thus the length and sophistication of travel, or road safety. We can also find reasons in the increase in car traffic, increasingly long commutes of both parents to work and children to school, parents' concerns about safety, or more organized activities. From a public health perspective, however, this independence in children's movement is recommended.
independent travel to school
The decline in young people's active and independent travel to school has prompted many countries to develop various policies, initiatives and programs to address the associated health harms. Meanwhile, research has shown that walking and biking to school has a positive impact on children's physical and mental health, social and cognitive development, and (incidentally) on local government finances.
A young student walking down the street
Joshua Fernandez, unsplash
In Poland, there are no statistics available on how many children walk while going to school. However, various studies are available that discuss children's independent mobility, that is, their freedom to move and play in public spaces without adult supervision.
A study in Norway shows that in that country, distance to school and age had the greatest impact on children's independent mobility. Importantly, factors related to traffic safety influenced children's independence mainly through parents' perceptions of safety[2].
what we are used to
The study also found that in Europe, the use of cars to take children to school has increased significantly in recent years. This obviously has a negative impact on their health and independence. Fewer and fewer children are walking or biking, which reduces their physical activity, as well as their orientation skills in the immediate area. Car transport of children also contributes to increased pollution, while adding another car that we so want to protect the child from.
In Norway, children start school at age 6. At this age, many students start going to school on their own. The Norwegian education system and culture strongly supports the development of independence and self-reliance in children. Students often walk to school on their own, especially in smaller towns where schools tend to be close to homes. Getting around independently is part of the Norwegian approach to education, which emphasizes experiential learning and promotes outdoor activities in all weather conditions. Encouraging independence stems from the belief that by doing so, children develop the skills to handle different situations and learn to take responsibility for themselves.
a survey that said a lot
On my own, I decided to conduct a survey of what we think is appropriate and what hinders us from getting our children around town independently. I surveyed more than 200 people. The vast majority of parents taking part in the survey lived in large cities - over 100,000 residents, the rest in smaller towns and rural areas. The most common means of transportation in getting to school was traveling by car, i.e. a parent dropping off a child. Fortunately, a large percentage of children also declaratively travel on foot or by public transportation. However, almost half of the responses indicated that their child never travels independently. Somewhat counterintuitively, 1/3 of survey participants said their child always travels independently. And here we get to the key part - because most parents (64.14%) believe that the road infrastructure in their area is not safe enough for children. The responses show that a child's independence in traveling is closely related to age. As the age of the child increases, the percentage of those who can travel without adult supervision increases. It is natural that parents are more concerned about the safety of younger children, and as they get older they gradually begin to give them more freedom.
There is a noticeable strong correlation between parents' opinion of the safety of road infrastructure and their decision to allow their children to travel alone. In places where parents considerthe infrastructure insufficiently safe (64.14% of respondents), they are likely to be less likely to allow their children to travel independently. Thus, it can be concluded that improving road infrastructure (sidewalks, bicycle paths, traffic lights) could increase parents' sense of security and allow children to travel more independently.
Survey results
Magdalena Milert
Experts suggest that children can start learning to walk to school on their own, as long as the route is safe and the children themselves are mature enough to handle such a task. The final decision is often left up to parents, especially for older children in the sixth grade, who can travel unaccompanied if parents deem it appropriate.
Another study, from North Carolina, looked at various forms of active travel to school, such as walking and biking. Although it involved the States, where land use is different than in Europe, it pointed to findings similar to what we might find closer to us. There, too, walking depends on land use and usability. Safety influences self-reliance in choosing a form of travel, regardless of region.
safety in numbers
That's right, safety. According to the new Cyclomedia Urban Road Safety Index, our capital is far from safe cities in Europe. Warsaw was listed in the ranking as 14th out of 32 European cities assessed for road safety. Incidentally, it also marked the biggest drop in the sense of safety compared to last year. When asked if they thought the quality of their city's roads was the cause of dangerous situations on the road, Warsaw residents almost half answered in the affirmative. In the survey on safety in rainy road conditions, Warsaw was also listed as one of the cities where the infrastructure is not optimally prepared for heavy rainfall, which can increase the risk of accidents. Like other European cities, our capital also faces challenges with new forms of urban transportation, such as e-scooters. Residents report that existing infrastructure is not sufficient to ensure safety with the growing number of users of these modes of transportation.
School Street - Permanent school street, at Grobla IV 8 in Gdansk.
Google Maps, Street View
So how do you let your child go to school on his own in such conditions? School streetsmay be the solution. It's an urban planning concept that involves limiting or completely closing off access to car traffic in the vicinity of schools and kindergartens. The goal of this solution is to create a safe space for children that promotes their independent movement and social integration.
school streets
One of the main reasons for introducing school streets is to increase children's safety. Studies show that areas around schools are often characterized by heavy traffic, which increases the risk of accidents. In Warsaw, as many as 20% of students have experienced dangerous situations involving cars. School streets aim to reduce the number of vehicles near schools, which directly translates into greater safety for the youngest children.
"School streets should be taken seriously as a tool to change many areas of the city's functioning, not just a way to 'make' the children's way to school more pleasant. It is important for local authorities to recognize both the benefits of implementing school streets for entire communities and the variety of forms this solution can take. A publication that broadens knowledge on the subject will help to popularize school streets as a solution to support urban policies in the area of sustainable mobility."
- Agnieszka Krzyzak-Pitura of the Parent in the City Foundation comments.
Reducing car traffic encourages children to use alternative means of transportation, such as walking or biking. This in turn promotes physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. School streets can also serve as meeting and integration places for students, parents and the local community. Creating spaces for outdoor play and learning fosters relationships between residents. The introduction of school streets contributes to reducing exhaust and noise emissions in the vicinity of schools. Fewer cars mean better air quality and a more child-friendly environment.
School streets are a tool that at least a little bit changes the space of cities to make them safer and more accessible - mainly for the youngest. And if children feel comfortable there, that means it's a standard where it will be for all those who fear danger in the city. Why not consider the idea of creating a city not just for the able-bodied and mature?
Magdalena Milert
[1] Promoting physical activity through schools: a toolkit. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2021. license: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
[2] Fyhri, A., & Hjorthol, R. (2009). Children "s independent mobility to school, friends and leisure activities. Journal of transportation geography, 17(5), 377-384.
