BackKill the speed and we’ll walk to school
A survey, published today to mark the start of International Walk to School Month, has found that 40% of parents would be happier letting their children walk to school if speed limits were reduced to 20mph.
The new findings, released by national charity Living Streets’ Walk to School Campaign, show just what an impact reducing speeds would have on children’s exercise levels. One in five parents whose children don’t currently walk to school say they would be more likely to if traffic speed were reduced, with a fifth of regular walkers reporting that a switch to 20mph on local streets would make them happier about their child’s walk to school.
These findings should act as a wake up call to councils stalling on 20mph limits. Government statistics show almost half of primary school children currently don’t walk to school regularly, with an enormous 41% driven to the gates, despite the majority of pupils living around a mile from school. This situation is particularly alarming given predictions that the percentage children classed as clinically obese in the UK will reach a quarter by 2050. Walking to school is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to increase the amount of physical activity that a child does, yet with our streets dominated by fast moving motor traffic, it’s no wonder that the number of children walking has declined over the past 3 decades.
The new research strongly suggests that reducing the speed limit to 20mph where we live, work and play will have an immediate impact on the number of children walking to school. When traffic is moving at 20mph or less, parents become more confident about letting their children walk and play on their streets. And with good reason. One in 5 pedestrians that are struck by a car at 30mph die. At 20mph this number is reduced to one in 40. Existing 20mph schemes across the UK and Europe consistently report a significant decline in the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on our roads. Hull city council introduced 20mph zones to a quarter of its roads has seen a 74% reduction in the number of child pedestrian casualties.
Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said:
“Walking to school has so many benefits we need to make sure it’s an attractive option for families right across the UK – something that can be impossible when faced with by speeding traffic. The evidence in favour of 20mph schemes is so well established it’s shocking there aren’t more council-wide limits in place – it’s time for less talk and more action. Local authorities around the UK are catching on and talking about setting 20mph as the default, we want more to follow suit, and the government should be making this process as easy as possible.
“We’d like every parent to:
• Give walking a go during October. We think you’ll be amazed by how easy and enjoyable it can be
• Write to your local MP and council calling for 20mph limits where we live, work and play
• Sign up to our website for tips, advice and suggestions of how to improve your walk to school
“We are facing a child obesity time bomb and changes need to be made to curb this trend. If we can get children walking more on their journey to and from school we can help more of them reach the daily 60 minutes of activity as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer, and all the health benefits that brings. But drastic action needs to be taken on our streets to make this happen – creating safe, attractive and enjoyable places for everyone. Reducing the speed limit needs to be our priority up and down the country.”
For more information contact Anna Powell, Press Officer at anna.powell@livingstreets.org.uk, tel: 020 7377 4914. For any out of office press enquiries, please call 07545 209865.
Notes to editors
Living Streets’ Walk to School campaign is supported by the Department for Transport, Transport for London, ACTravelwise and Modeshift, and delivered in partnership with local organisers throughout England.
The Walk to School campaign encourages primary school pupils, parents and staff to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives by walking to and from school wherever possible. Visit www.walktoschool.org.uk for more information.
Living Streets, celebrating its 80th birthday this year, is the national charity that stands up for pedestrians. With our supporters we work to create safe, attractive and enjoyable streets, where people want to walk.
We have been the national voice for pedestrians throughout our 80 year history. In the early years, our campaigning led to the introduction of the driving test, pedestrian crossings and 30mph speed limits. Since then our ambition has grown. Today we influence decision makers nationally and locally, run successful projects to encourage people to walk, and provide specialist consultancy services to help reduce congestion and carbon emissions, improve public health, and make sure every community can enjoy vibrant streets and public spaces.
Published on: 01/10/2009
