The walk to school - could motorists make greater effort to ensure the walk to school is safe?

Like most children in the 1970’s I used to walk to school. I was more or less limited to do this because my parents didn’t have a car and while it was only a fifteen minute walk I would have liked the option. What has become common place and entered our culture is the notion of the ‘school run’ in the ‘chelsea tractor’ - driving the kids to school is the means of ensuring that they reach the destination.

I don’t know to what extent it is classed as a problem for the most of the population however, I do regard this as a significant problem of the times. Not only because of the impacts upon the children themselves in terms of evidence of preteens coronary atherosclerosis, or heart disease in under 12s. But also because there are major impacts upon the environment as a result of the increases in traffic and the speed that the extra traffic travels at as a result of congestion. There are other areas of impacts as well, this must make some difference to a child’s awareness of local space and willingness to walk on other journeys as well.

In some areas I have been witness to motorists who will do what is necessary to ensure that the trip to school is safe who intervene in fighting or bullying when it takes place on the journey to or from schoo. If this does not take place there is greater chance that there will be a decision made by parents to take their kids to school themselves.

This may take the form of bibbing a vehicle horn at any group of youths who appear not to be conducting themselves in a way that is generally going to be classed as acceptable. It may also require some greater intervention to stop and challenge what seems like very undesirable behaviour. This could of course cause some concern or excessive noise on occasion but is it worth making some effort to do this on balance? There is also the more recent change that there are going to be camera phones and other recording equipment carried by motorists and if pupils are in school uniform, as a result easily identified on the walk to school, they may find when they reach school there are emailed copies of the events that have taken place on the way to school.

There may be a degree of distrust in society at large at present but surely collective action can ensure that the overall trend does not continue and may reverse?