This paper outlines the UK Government's approach to the transport needs of people under 18, then presents the Sustrans Safe Routes to School Project. The project was established in Summer 1995, and aims to encourage children to walk and cycle to school. Its objectives are being achieved through improved routes, better bicyle security, environmental education, and a programme of raising awareness in schools. It also fulfils the aims of Local Agenda 21, and could become a popular focus for local community action. Pupils at pilot schools have been asked to plot their routes and indicate locations they perceive as hazardous. By combining this information with accident plots, local authorities have been able to formulate proposals to make the road environment safer by applying seven general traffic engineering and road safety principles. Education approaches can be divided between those which teach safety skills and those which promote walking and cycling. Sustrans has organised several road safety activity days in schools, and walking and cycling can be promoted in the teaching of various subjects in the National Curriculum. Speed limits and parking restrictions need to be enforced near schools. There is strong evidence that promoting freedom of choice and encouraging walking and cycling will raise the total number of walkers and cyclists, and enable accident rates to fall.
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