The return of the school run

The last weekend of the holidays is here! At last! Just the frantic last minute buying of school uniform to contend with now.

Of course going back to school means the return of the school run, the part of school I really dislike.
A lot of children are injured close to their own homes, on residential roads.

The stats are quite frightening – 70 per cent of drivers break the speed limit on residential roads – and many of those drivers are parents. The “school run” brings with it a 20 per cent growth in rush hour traffic and as a result, a greater risk to pedestrians.

Parents attitudes have changed, I can recall walking myself the short distance to school from 6 years old. My eldest daughter was 8 before she went to school by herself and many ten year olds were often taken to school by their parents. So the children are still being dependent on parents to drive them 500 yards to school. I recall the school in question was in the centre of a housing estate, with footpaths surrounding it, yet parents still drove their children to school. So there needs to be a big shift in thinking -  children need to walk to school with their friends and not drove by their parents.

Obviously parents are concerned about the safety of their children, I think if they knew how unsafe driving the school run was, they might actually give it up.

This advice has been prepared by the IAM to make the “school run” safer.

• Avoid taking the car if you can. Walking, cycling and public transport are all better options, not only for children, but also the environment. Children cycling to school should be proficient and wear a helmet, with bright, all-weather clothing.
• If you have to drive, offer to car share with other parents and take it in turns rather than add to
congestion around schools. When you have an informal arrangement, set an example by
attending a defensive driving course such as that offered by the IAM.
• Allow plenty of time for the journey. Crashes cause delay and are normally caused by drivers
going too fast and driving too close to the car in front. Leave five minutes earlier to reduce
stress.
• Drive well within the speed limit. Maintain a sensible safety gap – remember the “two second
rule”. At 35mph you are twice as likely to kill someone as you are at 30mph. Yet within the
car, this feels hardly any different. The school approach presents many hazards – including
children not concentrating fully as they cross the road.
• Park considerately and safely. Never double park, block driveways or simply rely on the
footbrake to keep the vehicle still as children climb out of the car. Consider parking 100 yards
or so away from the school gate and completing your journey on foot. This gives you an
opportunity to teach children about using the road and reduces congestion at the school gate
itself.
• Never stop on the yellow “zig zags” by the school gate, even briefly. Always ensure you let
the children out on the pavement side (or if there is no pavement, the side away from the
traffic).
• Do not drive on the pavement in an attempt to allow oncoming vehicles to pass. Wait until the
way ahead is clear rather than risk injuring a pedestrian.

What do you think? What can we parents do to make the dreaded school run safer? and is it just down to the parents to make Essex roads safer?

Sarah

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