Many parents take their child to school by car. Be it because the school can only be reached this way or because the parents do not want the child to go to school unattended. The solution with the numerous "parent taxis" is not always ideal. They often block the access roads to schools and can endanger children who have just come to school on foot or by bike. It is worthwhile to let children walk to school alone, despite possible dangers in road traffic.
The German Insurance Association (Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft) has for a long time emphasized how valuable it is for children to travel to school independently. "Parents should [...] bear in mind that they deprive their children of the opportunity to gain independent experience as pedestrians in road traffic if they constantly transport their offspring [...] in the car."*
Higher risk instead of more physical health
Those who do not take part in road traffic themselves do not gain any experience and thus have insufficient traffic-related skills. Especially with children this is accompanied –– by a higher risk of being involved in accidents, as they are not used to moving alone in road traffic.
Walking to school also encourages the children to move. They get their circulation going before school and can therefore concentrate better.
Children perceive road traffic differently
From our experience, it is important to know how your child perceives road traffic. Their height makes it difficult for other road users to recognize children. At the same time, a child can hardly look over the top of cars. Furthermore, children have a smaller field of vision than adults. This makes it difficult for them to see vehicles coming from the side. Only at the age of eight are children able to abruptly stop movements such as running. At the age of nine, they can correctly estimate distances. Only at the age of ten can they correctly estimate speeds ** In addition, many children find it difficult to put themselves in the shoes of other road users.
Practice the way to school
The following tips can help to prepare your child for the journey to school.
- Practice the way to school before school starts. Take your time and walk all the way to school with your child. If you do this during the week, the exercise will be all the more realistic. If bus or train travel is part of the school route, we recommend that you practice this as well, especially getting on and off the bus.
- It can help to change roles by letting your child take you to school and explain what to look out for in traffic. This is fun for most children as they can show what they have already learned. Also, talk about the poor visibility during the cold season.
- You can also play "What will you do when...?” Many children are happy to answer such questions. They play through situations in their heads and weigh up how they have to act. It also helps to go through dangerous situations, such as those caused by attackers on the way to school. In such cases, children can scream loudly in order to react with a loud "Help!", "No!", "Fire!" or "Leave me alone" to make passers-by aware of themselves. In self-defence courses for children, the youngest can already learn how to behave best in such situations.
- Show your child how to behave correctly at traffic lights and zebra crossings by setting a good example. "At a red traffic light, you have to stand still..."
- Send your child off punctually in the morning so that he or she has enough time to make an observant journey. Hustle and bustle and time pressure lead to hasty decisions and possible dangers. Also, tell your child to contact you if he or she is late on the way back.
- Form a “walk pool” for your children with other parents. This will increase safety and make it more fun for the children to go to school together. At the same time, you can organize for a mother or father to accompany the children every day during the first weeks of school.
The safety of the children has top priority. Nevertheless, they have to gain their own experiences and get used to road traffic. If you prepare your child well for the way to school, he or she will complete it confidently.
*Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft e. V., Schulwegsicherung, 2013
**https://www.familienleben.ch/kind/schule-ausbildung/sicherheit-schulweg-966