Walk to School Month: More parents are driving children to school - here's the damage it's doing to the planet
Safety could be one of the driving factors, research suggests 🚗
- This month is International Walk to School Month
- The annual event aims to encourage pupils to ‘walk or wheel’ to class, for their health and the planet
- But new data suggests the number of pupils being driven has increased by over half a million since the early 2000s
- More cars doing school drop-offs could also be increasing carbon emissions by thousands of tonnes each year
Whether it’s down to road safety worries or just wanting to get to work on time, the proportion of pupils walking to school is dropping.
October is International Walk to School Month, an annual event which encourages parents of young learners to ditch the drive and get their child to walk or wheel to school – for both the environment, and their health. But new analysis suggests that despite these potential benefits, hundreds of thousands more UK parents are opting to use their cars for pick-ups and drop-offs than 20 years ago.
GAP insurance provider ALA Insurance has reviewed the data, to find out not only the impact it is having on the planet, but what the reasoning could be behind more families making this choice. Here’s what you need to know:
How many children are being driven to school - and the environmental toll
According to official statistics published by the Department for Transport, which have just been updated with 2024’s figures, there has been a long-term decrease in the number of children making their way to school on foot. This has been coupled with an increase in the number being driven there, the team at ALA Insurance said.
About twenty years ago, nearly half (48%) of school-aged children walked to class, while about 3 in 10 (31%) rode there in a car or van. By 2014, a decade ago, that number had fallen to 45% walking with 34% being driven, while in 2024, 44% were walking and 37% were being driven.
This represents some 3.3 million children being driven to school, about 541,000 more than in 2004, based on Department for Education figures on pupil numbers.
Using the Sustainable Travel carbon footprint calculator for a standard car making a five-mile round trip, the ALA team estimated that half a million more children being driven to school could add up to an extra 133,860 metric tonnes of carbon emissions created annually.
According to the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency, transport is the country’s top sector for greenhouse gas emissions – and most of these come from our vehicles. These gases, like carbon dioxide, are created when petrol or diesel are burnt up in car engines. They trap heat on Earth which would otherwise have escaped out into space, which can cause temperatures to rise – with last year notably being the world’s hottest on record.
The importance of striking a balance
When it comes to the why of more parents driving their kids to school, a recent study by safety charity Brake might hold the key. It found that 69% of parents would prefer for their child to walk or wheel to school more often, but they were concerned about their safety. Some 78% of parents surveyed also wanted the roads near their homes and schools to have a 20mph speed limit.
“It’s a slightly concerning trend to see parents choosing to drive their kids to school rather than walking,” ALA’s Aimee Anderson said. “It’s understandable though, with safety concerns and other commitments like getting to work.”
But she added that now was the ideal time to strive for a little more balance. “International Walk to School Month is the perfect time for families to leave the car at home, even a few times a week. It’s one of the simplest ways to cut your carbon footprint and boost your child’s health and happiness.”
Of course, road safety “has to come first”, she added. Ms Anderson recommended teaching children some simple tips whilst walking or cycling to school, like walking on the far side of the pavement from traffic, where unexpected vehicles could come from, and the Green Cross Code for when they need to cross the street.
Want to buck the trend and encourage your child to start walking to school, but don’t know where to start? Check out this story for guidance on when children are old enough to tackle this new challenge – and how to know whether they’re ready.