Previous research (Hillman, M. et al., 1990) has established that the percentage of 7 and 8 year old children who travel independently to school in England has declined from 80% in 1971 to 9% in 1990. In this current research 378 parents of 7-11 year old children were interviewed, with questions focusing on current transport mode, pattern of accompaniment and the reasons for taking children to school. Results showed that 68.2% of the children are taken to and from school by an adult. There were no general effects on pattern of accompaniment, but there were age effects with 7-9 year olds more likely to be accompanied than the older children. The most frequently cited reason for accompanying children to school given by parents was "stranger danger". Also included is a rejoinder from Mayer Hillman on pages 37-38, in which the authors research is questioned and reasons are given which may account for the differences in findings in the research studies.
Samenvatting