Promote Pedestrian Safety During International Walk to School Day

On October 8, more than 40 countries will participate in International Walk to School Day. Since 1997, this one-day event has become the cornerstone of a movement to create safe, walkable communities.

In 1969, almost half of children ages 5 to 14 walked or biked to school; in 2009, only 13 percent of the same age group did so. According to a survey by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the top reasons cited by parents for not allowing kids to walk to school include:

• Distance to school
• Traffic danger
• Weather
• Crime danger

The Houston pedestrian accident attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers understand the importance of protecting our kids from unsafe streets and increasingly distracted motorists. That’s why we support the goals of Walk to School Day in hopes that these risks can be reduced.

Here are just a few reasons to support the movement on Oct. 8 and throughout the year:

• It’s fun! Being able to walk or bike to school provides a sense of enjoyment and independence to children of all ages.
• With child obesity on the rise, what could be better than a daily walk for our children? Healthy habits are best started at a young age, and this is a great way to help kids get the physical activity their bodies need to stay healthy.
• As more kids walk to school, that means fewer parents are driving them there, reducing pollution from auto emissions and traffic congestion. This is a benefit not just for families, but for communities as a whole.
• Part of the goal of International Walk to School Day is promoting safety in our communities by building support for infrastructure improvements to roads and sidewalks.