Recommended Safety Tips for Parents with Children Who Walk or Bike to School

The American Planning Association is stressing how important it is for parents to make sure that their children who walk or bike to school arrive at their school safely. They are recommending several steps parents can take to ensure the safety of their children. These recommendations are contained in a recent American Planning Association is stressing how important it is for parents to make sure that their children who walk or bike to school arrive at their school safely.">press release issued by The American Planning Association.

There are several advantages to having your children walk or bike to school. First, it is healthier for them as they get to enjoy time in the fresh air getting exercise instead of in a car. It also reduces the amount of traffic on the roads, therefore reducing the pollution in the air in your community. There are several steps that are recommended to achieve these results in the press release.

The first is as a parent that you should walk the route that your child will be taking by foot or bicycle to the school. Make sure it appears safe. Items to look out for include shrubs that someone could hide behind, or concealed gates where your child would not see the danger until it was upon them. After noting these you might be able to contact community officials to have the hazards removed or altered to make them safe.

There are probably many kids in your area that walk or bike to school. Form a parents group and mark out the safest routes for your kids and share them with all parents of kids in your area that walk to school. To take it a step forward with the parents you work with in this activity, form what American Planning Association refers to "walking school buses". These involve parents walking part of the path of the children's trip to the school with the children. Arrange with other parents to split the trip.

Another thing to consider is there are probably adults throughout your community that walk or jog in the mornings. Ask them to help the community out by keeping an eye out for the school kids walking to and from school so they can help ensure their safety. If a predator notices adults in the area watching the children they are less likely to confront the children walking to and from school.