Hundreds of schools across the country have set up “School Streets”. The initiative aims to make roads safer for pupils, reduce traffic and parking pressures outside schools, cut air pollution and encourage families to walk and cycle.

Under the new scheme, roads near schools become temporarily pedestrianised at times when school children are getting dropped off or picked up from school.

63% of teachers want to ban cars on the road outside their school, with a further 26% agreeing that school street closures are an effective measure for bring down levels of air pollution.

Air Pollution:

Vehicles are one of the biggest problems when it comes to air pollution, and it has been estimated more than three million pupils in England attend school in areas where the air is polluted. Children in London were far more likely to go to school where levels exceeded global limits, according to research.

When vehicles stop, but the engine is still running, fumes still get into the air which is then breathed in by pupils, parents, and teachers. Air pollution can cause both short and long term effects on someone’s health, especially for people with heart or lung conditions such as Asthma.

Safety:

School run related traffic accounts for a quarter of cars on the road and adds 254,000 vehicles a day in London alone.  It is therefore no surprise that every month, 1,200 children are injured in traffic related collisions that happen within 500m of a school. Most of the roads outside schools are not big enough for the number of cars and with people parking dangerously, it imposes a serious safety risk to children.

As the average distance to school for primary age children is 1.6 miles and 3.5 miles for secondary schools, implementing School Streets should encourage more children to walk or bike to school which reduces the number of cars. Not only does children walking to school reduce the number of cars on the road, but it also reduces air pollution and keeps children fit and healthy.

Do you think cars should be banned at drop off and pick up times? Let us know what you think.