‘Children have a right to walk safely where they live’
A day of action later this month will see thousands of UK schoolchildren take part in a short, supervised walk to promote vital road safety messages.
Road safety charity Brake is behind the Brake Kids Walk, where children walk in pairs in a designated route within their community, to emphasise the importance of being able to walk without worrying about traffic or pollution.
It’s expected that around 80,000 children from some 500 schools will take part in the day of action on 22 June – all with the aim of raising awareness across society of the dangers on the roads in cities and towns.
Brake says that six children are killed or seriously injured on roads in Britain every day – that’s roughly the equivalent of a whole classroom of children every week.
‘It’s every child’s right to walk safely’
As well as the vital messages it provides to children, Brake’s Kids Walk also raises awareness among parents and other adults of the need to protect children on the roads. Posters and demonstration materials highlight what children need to walk safely in their communities, including footpaths, cycle paths, safe places to cross and slow traffic and clean traffic.
For the first time this year, schools will also be given a template manifesto document that they can use to help them ask local or national decision-makers to prioritise safe and healthy journeys for children. Brake has a long history of organising walking events for schoolchildren at a national level, and is also behind Road Safety Week, the UK’s biggest road safety campaign held annually in November.
Scott Williams, head of programme delivery at Brake, said: “It’s every child’s right to be able to walk in their community without fear of traffic and pollution. It is vital that children can walk safely in the places where they live. This year we hope to inspire as many children, schools and families as possible through our Brake’s Kids Walk event.”
