Sustainable travel modes:
Benefits of the above:
- Environmental
- Health
- Economic
- Social
Environmental benefits
Travelling by car, particularly for short journeys, causes air
and noise pollution as engines function less efficiently when they
are cold. Shortest journeys also have the greatest potential to be
made by foot or bike.
If you do let your children walk or cycle to school, then you
will be helping to improve local air quality and reduce traffic
noise and congestion and doing your bit to alleviate global
warming. If it isn't practical for your children to walk or
cycle, why not arrange to share the journey with other families who
live nearby.
Health benefits
Approximately 5,000 children in North Lincolnshire are
overweight or obese. Allowing your children to walk or cycle to
school will help to reduce or prevent obesity. It is recommended
that children should undertake one hour of moderate exercise, five
times a week to benefit their health. Walking or cycling to school
will help them to achieve this.
Economic benefits
Encouraging your children to walk or cycle to school, rather
than taking them by car will save you money on petrol. This could
be particularly important at the moment with ever increasing fuel
costs.
If walking or cycling to school isn't always a practical
option, why not arrange to car share with other parents so you can
still save money.
Social benefits
Research has shown that children who walk/cycle to school arrive
more alert and better able to participate in lessons.
Children travelling to school by car also miss out on the chance
to interact socially with their friends on the way to and from
school.
- 20 per cent of traffic on the roads at school start and finish
times is in the school run
- If we could reduce that number by only 10 per cent it would
save 190 lives nationally
- In North Lincolnshire the average school journey by car is one
mile
- Childhood asthma is on the increase and this can be directly
traced to the increase in traffic pollution
- In heavy traffic there is more pollution for the car passengers
than adjacent pedestrians (Even those with air conditioning!)
- Short runs in a car are the most polluting and cause the most
damage to the engine
- Parents spend 570 million hours per year on the school run,
they consume 500 million litres of fuel and contribute two million
tons of carbon dioxide to the environment.
Further information
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