The view from the school run
'The view from the school run' is based on a survey exploring how families travel to school, the factors influencing travel choices, barriers to active travel, and priorities for improving the school journey.
In the report, Mat MacDonald, the Road Safety Commissioner for the West Midlands, calls for increased road safety. In his foreword, he says, ‘our streets should be safe spaces for children to socialise, play and travel’ and cites the ‘average of nearly seven children killed or seriously injured in traffic collisions across Great Britain every single day’.
This report presents findings from a survey of 1,634 parents and carers representing 120 local authorities across the UK. The survey explored how families travel to school, the factors influencing travel choices, barriers to active travel and priorities for improving the school journey. It gives us a snapshot of how families across the UK experience the school run.
The findings suggest that parents recognise a wide range of benefits associated with active travel. Health and wellbeing emerged as the strongest motivation, while spending time outdoors, supporting children's independence and opportunities for family connection were also frequently cited.
Despite these benefits, concerns relating to traffic, parking and road safety continue to shape travel choices. Parents consistently identified traffic volumes, pavement parking and unsafe crossing points as significant barriers to walking and wheeling.
Respondents prioritised practical improvements that would create safer and more accessible routes to school. There was also evidence of interest in alternatives such as ‘Park and Stride’, suggesting that many families may be willing to reduce their reliance on car travel if suitable options are available.
The survey was distributed through our projects, programmes and public communications channels, during the 25/26 academic year.
Key findings
