Safe Detroit

Do you live within walking distance from your children’s school? Is it safe for them to walk to school? The weather seems to be breaking and more and more children are beginning to walk to school rather than ride in a parent’s car. Michigan has a federally funded program that is designed to keep our children safe while walking to and from school. It’s called Michigan’s Safe Routes to School program and so far about 35 Detroit schools are on the registered list. The purpose of the program is to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school. Each school is to form a SR2S Team that takes measures to insure a safe route for the children.

I found some interesting facts on Michigan’s SR2S website.

Research and study shows the following:

• 25% of morning traffic is parents driving their students to school.

• Walking or riding is children’s preferred method of getting to school.

• Only about 10 percent of children walk to school everyday.

• 85% of children’s trips to school are made by car or bus.

• 46% of traffic crashes involving kids as pedestrians occur when a child darts out into the street.

• 50% of children hit by cars near schools are hit by parents of other students.

• Thirty years ago over 66% of America’s children walked to school. Today, only 13% of America’s children walk or bike to school.