May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month; Safe Routes to School Programs Policy Report
Help keep students safe and healthy while traveling to and from school: start a Safe Routes to Schools Program in your district and celebrate National Youth Traffic Safety Month.
The percent of students walking or bicycling to and from school has dropped dramatically. According to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, in 1969 almost half of all students walked or biked to school, including 85% of students living within one mile of school. In 2001, just 15% of all students walked or biked to school, including just half of students living within one mile of school. Walking- and biking-to-school programs can reduce traffic congestion and air pollution near schools, benefit school district budgets by reducing bus transportation costs, and positively impact student health by providing additional minutes of physical activity every day. Implementing a Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Program in your district can be an effective way to encourage students to walk or bike to school.
A recent report from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership identified challenges and opportunities to improve the national SRTS Program, including creating environments that support SRTS such as siting schools in neighborhoods, working with city planners to ensure a “complete streets” approach to community planning that involves adequate sidewalks and walking/biking paths, and connecting SRTS to school health initiatives.
High school students who drive to school face different health and safety issues in getting to school. According to the National Organizations for Youth Safety (NOYS), automobile deaths are the leading cause of death for children and youth (ages 3-33). May is National Youth Traffic Safety Month—an opportunity to educate and raise awareness among youth and the community about dangers related to traffic safety—for example, texting while driving, wearing a seat belt, and drinking and driving.
Visit the NOYS website for more information about National Youth Traffic Safety Month and a toolkit to plan a traffic safety event at your school. To learn more about Safe Routes to School, visit the websites of the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools and the Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership.
Sources: “Moving to the Future: Building on Early Achievements (Safe Routes to School 2009 Policy Report,” Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership, March 2009; National Organizations for Youth Safety website.