More than three-quarters of British kids, 78 per cent, live within two miles of their school, yet a staggering 63 per cent of them are driven to and from the school gates every day, either in a car or bus, according to fresh research.
The ‘Walk to School Report’ from Kia Motors reveals a nation of walk-shy families who are responsible for 5.5 million unnecessary daily road journeys to drop the kids at school.
While the research shows the majority of UK families live less than a mile from their child’s school, 15 per cent refuse to cover the distance on foot. Over one in five, of parents admit driving their kids to school for personal convenience and 13 per cent claim they have “no alternative’ while a further 28 per cent of non-walkers are worried by media stories of children going missing.
Despite more than half, 57 per cent, of British parents saying they would prefer their children to walk to school, they cite safety concerns as the chief barrier to doing so and 48 per cent of parents claiming the roads are dangerous and ironically, that the streets surrounding their child’s school are too congested.
Kia Motors publishes the research to coincide with Walk to School Week 2009, an initiative designed to encourage more children to ditch unnecessary car journeys and travel to school on foot.
Sue Mulcaster, spokesperson for Kia Motors UK said: “Walking short journeys rather than taking the car carries health benefits for us and the environment. Reducing emissions and road traffic makes walking a healthier and safer activity.”
“Over 20 per cent of all traffic in the mornings is generated by the school run; the roads are very busy and parental concerns for their children’s safety are understandable. Yet the simple solution is being over looked. Only 38 per cent of parents say their child’s school actively encourage walking to school, and just 1.5 per cent of all parents are taking it upon themselves to organise a walking rota with other parents. With a properly set up Walking Bus, there’s no safer or fun way to get to and from school.”
Shockingly the research also shows that over the academic year, a single car journeying a three-mile round trip will produce 234 kg of carbon emissions. In a country where one in ten school children is obese, walking just one mile a day would burn 100 calories, equating to 19,500 calories across the school year and as such, Kia has issued a guide to set up a Walking Bus to help. Visit http://www.kia.co.uk/About-Kia/Initiatives/Walking-Bus.aspx for more information.
