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The Bench Report
Road Safety and Active Travel to School
Do you worry about the safety of children on their way to school? Are you concerned about the decline in walking and cycling and the impact this has on their health and our environment?
A recent debate in the House of Commons addressed these crucial issues, exploring how we can create safer routes and encourage more active travel to school. This episode highlights the key discussions and potential solutions that were raised, which are vital for the well-being of our children and communities.
Key Points Discussed:
- Worrying Trends: The sharp drop in children walking or cycling to school since the 1970s, now with only 3% cycling nationally
- Children's Desire: Many children want to walk, wheel, or cycle more but need to feel safe
- The Danger: Road casualties are unacceptably high, with danger greatest near schools
- Infrastructure Matters: The need for safe, high-quality streets and segregated cycle paths, especially at junctions and in new developments. Examples from the Netherlands and low-cost UK solutions were mentioned.
- Training is Key: Bikeability training builds confidence and safety skills, significantly increasing the intent to cycle to school
- Policy Barriers: Pavement parking was a major concern, highlighting the need for better enforcement powers for councils.
- Proven Solutions: School Streets and 20 mph zones are effective in creating safer environments around schools
- Upcoming Strategy: The new national road safety strategy is a critical opportunity to address these issues comprehensively
- Government Action: The Minister highlighted the role of Active Travel England, ongoing strategy development, and announced funding for active travel.
Source: Road Safety and Active Travel to School
Volume 765: debated on Tuesday 22 April 2025
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No outside chatter: source material only taken from Hansard and the Parliament UK website.
Contains Parliamentary information repurposed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Hello and welcome to The Bench Report. You're listening to Amy and Ivan. Essential listening today on your school commute.
Speaker 01:Today we're looking at, well, how we can make that journey safer and maybe encourage more kids to walk or cycle.
Speaker 00:That's right. It's based on a recent parliamentary discussion and it's about much more than just easing traffic, isn't it?
Speaker 01:Absolutely. It touches on children's health, their independence, even the feel of our communities.
Speaker 00:And the core issue is this really significant drop in walking and cycling to school.
Speaker 01:It is quite stark. when you look at the numbers. Think back to the mid-1970s. It was around 67% of children walking or cycling. Two-thirds, basically. Pretty much. But by 2023, that figure had fallen to just 47%. Less
Speaker 00:than half.
Speaker 01:And cycling specifically. It's tiny. Only about 3% nationally.
Speaker 00:Wow. That's a dramatic change over a few decades. It feels like a real loss.
Speaker 01:It is. A loss of daily exercise, a loss of that sense of independence for children, and... Well, a greater reliance on cars.
Speaker 00:What's surprising, though, maybe worrying, is that kids seem to want to be more active.
Speaker 01:That's a key point. The data suggests half of children would like to cycle more.
Speaker 00:And about a third want to walk or maybe use their stooter more often.
Speaker 01:So there's this disconnect, isn't there, between what they want and what's actually happening.
Speaker 00:Which leads us to the why. Why has this happened and what can be done? That's what we want to unpack today. A
Speaker 01:major theme in the debate was, perhaps unsurprisingly, safety. The risks on our roads are real.
Speaker 00:Tragically real. Lives lost or changed forever. That context is crucial.
Speaker 01:It really is. So families have these very valid safety concerns. And a lot of that comes down to infrastructure. How our streets are actually set up.
Speaker 00:You mean things like cycle lanes, safe crossings?
Speaker 01:Exactly. In countries with high rates of walking and cycling, they actively prioritize making it safe and, frankly, pleasant to get around without a car. Dedicated spaces, slower speeds.
Speaker 00:We did hear some positive examples being mentioned, didn't we? Like that new car-free path near Glastonbury.
Speaker 01:Yes, linking Glastonbury and Somerton. Apparently it's already helping students get to local schools more safely.
Speaker 00:and even smaller things, like those zebra crossings put on side streets in Westminster. They can make a difference.
Speaker 01:It shows that sometimes relatively simple changes can boost confidence quite a bit, make people feel safer choosing to walk or cycle.
Speaker 00:The discussion wasn't just about cities either, was it? Rural areas have their own challenges.
Speaker 01:Very much so. Different challenges, perhaps longer distances, faster roads sometimes, but the need for safe, ideally separate routes, is just as vital.
Speaker 00:And what about building new places? It seems planning doesn't always factor this in from the start.
Speaker 01:That was a definite point of concern New schools, new housing estates, sometimes built without even basic footpaths connecting them properly.
Speaker 00:Which seems, well, short-sighted. Surely a footpath is fundamental.
Speaker 01:You'd think so. It's much easier and cheaper to design these things in from day one, rather than trying to retrofit them later.
Speaker 00:Which can involve tricky things like land ownership and compulsory purchase orders, making it harder for councils.
Speaker 01:Precisely. So getting the infrastructure right is foundational. But even with safe paths, children need the skills and the confidence to use them.
Speaker 00:Ah, so that brings us to the training aspect. Beyond just the physical environment.
Speaker 01:Yes. Training was highlighted as crucial. The bikeability program came up repeatedly.
Speaker 00:That's the cycle training in schools.
Speaker 01:Correct. It got a lot of praise for genuinely helping kids cycle more safely and building their confidence.
Speaker 00:And there was a specific statistic on its impact.
Speaker 01:There was. Before bikeability training, about 5% of kids said they intended to cycle to school after the training. That jumped to 24%.
Speaker 00:That's a huge increase. Really shows the power of just teaching the skills and building that confidence.
Speaker 01:It really does. It raises the question, as was the about making it more universally available. Maybe like swimming lessons are in the curriculum.
Speaker 00:That's an interesting thought. But that requires consistent funding, reliable support for the providers.
Speaker 01:Absolutely. Consistent funding came up as vital for planning and ensuring enough instructors are available.
Speaker 00:So we've got infrastructure, we've got training. What about policy hurdles, things blocking progress?
Speaker 01:Pavement parking was a big one, seen as creating real hazards, especially for children, pushchair users, people with disabilities.
Speaker 00:Making footpaths unusable or dangerous.
Speaker 01:Exactly. And there seems to to be quite a lot of public support for tackling it.
Speaker 00:But councils outside London and Scotland have limited powers to enforce restrictions currently.
Speaker 01:That's right. There were calls to make it easier for local authorities everywhere to bring in restrictions where needed.
Speaker 00:We also heard about the positive impact of things like 20 mile per hour limits near schools.
Speaker 01:Yes. And school streets initiatives where roads right outside schools are closed to traffic at drop off and pickup times.
Speaker 00:The example from Ealing sounded quite successful.
Speaker 01:It did. They saw a reported 29 percent increase in active travel and a noticeable drop in car use around those schools.
Speaker 00:It shows how relatively focused politics changes can shift behavior and improve the environment right where it's needed most.
Speaker 01:And all this feeds into the bigger picture, the upcoming National Road Safety Strategy, an opportunity perhaps to tie these different threads together.
Speaker 00:It definitely feels like there's momentum. lots of ideas on the table from big infrastructure projects down to local tweaks.
Speaker 01:And the benefits go way beyond just the school run, don't they?
Speaker 00:Absolutely. We're talking public health improvements, cleaner air, kids getting that bit of daily exercise, more vibrant local areas.
Speaker 01:It's all interconnected. Investing in making it safe and easy for kids to walk or cycle really is an investment in healthier, more sustainable communities.
Speaker 00:So summarizing, we've seen the need for safer infrastructure like maybe that potential cycle path near Totney's, or just better design and new builds.
Speaker 01:And the proven value of training like bikeability, significantly boosting kids' intention to cycle.
Speaker 00:Plus, the impact of policies like school streets, as seen in Ealing, cutting car use, and boosting active travel.
Speaker 01:It paints a picture of what's possible.
Speaker 00:It does. Which maybe leads to a final thought for you listening. Considering all these benefits for health, the environment, community, feel, what's one small change that could make a really big difference to how the school commute looks and feels in your own local area. We hope you enjoyed today's show. As always, find us on social media at Bench Report UK. Take care.
