Safe Route to School

Safe Routes to Schools

Our aim is to create a Safe Route to School for every child in the UK.

What is Safe Routes to Schools?

Safe Routes to Schools projects encourage and enable children to walk and cycle to school through a combined package of practical and educational measures.

Safe Routes to Schools projects also:

• improve road safety and reduce child casualties
• improve children's health and development
• reduce traffic congestion and pollution

Safe Routes to Schools projects involve:

• the whole school community
• local residents
• local authorities
• health and education workers
• police

Safe Routes to Schools projects are all about working together as a community to make the school journey safer and healthier for everyone.

Successful Safe Routes projects are child-centred, build on small steps to raise awareness and change travel behaviour and benefit the whole local community by helping to create safer, more healthy environments. Each school is different, with its own local problems and possible solutions. Developing a School Travel Plan can help ensure the complete situation is considered and embed safe and sustainable school journeys into the whole schools ethos.

Sustrans runs a national Safe Routes to Schools information service, aimed at schools, parents, pupils, Local Authorities and all those who are interested in Safe Routes to Schools Projects. We provide training, videos, newsletters, factsheets, teachers packs, resources, advice and networking opportunities as well as holding national and regional events and conferences. Additionally we work closely with policy makers and the media to raise the profile of school travel issues and the commitment to make a safe journey to school for every child in the UK.

The Safe Routes to Schools Project has its own website - whatever your interest or need, this website is a one-stop shop for everyone involved in School Travel Plans and Safe Routes to Schools projects.

Sustrans has launched a series of information sheets for parents, teachers and pupils which aim to inform and guide schools through sustainable school travel initiatives. The sheets are available to download free of charge in PDF format from the Safe Routes to Schools website.

We have also just produced a summary of our Primary to Secondary Transition Project (PDF), explaining how to approach that crucial period when young people change schools and maintain their active travel habits.

The Safe Routes to Schools project is supported by the Department for Transport, the Scottish Executive and a number of Charitable Trusts.