School run

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These school road markings outside of Barking Abbey School in Barking show that parking during term time is illegal

The School Run is a modern phenomenon associated with parents taking their children to school by car. Outside most British schools parents park cars near the school gates and drop off and pick up their children at the appropriate times.

In the past it was not unusual for most children to walk to school, either on their own, with friends, or accompanied by an adult. Walking to school has fallen from 61% of primary school pupils in 1992/4 to 50% in 2004. ^[1] Walking to school is being replaced by parents using cars, sometimes in a rota with other parents.

The reasons for this are manifold. Firstly, in many cases both parents work and do not have time to walk their children to school, and do not know any other parents who have the time either. Secondly, even if the children are old enough to walk on their own (or cycle), most parents are worried that something may happen to them, e.g. abduction, car accidents etc. Often there is no convenient bus service, and the distance is too far for walking, thus forcing the school run.

Ironically, the risk of children being run over near their schools is much higher than in the past due to all the parents driving their own children to school and parking in unsafe places near the school gates. It is not unusual to see cars parking in bus stops, on pedestrian crossings or facing the wrong way, with children getting in or out of the car.

The fear that something may happen to the children has perhaps more to do with media coverage of isolated (but tragic) cases than any real threat.

Some schools now have a 20 mph (~30 km/h) speed limit operating when the children are about, though traffic congestion often necessitates a lower speed.

A further problem in recent times has been an increasing level of choice by parents as to which school their children go to. Obviously the inevitable result is that kids may have further to travel and are more likely to require a bus or a lift in the car.

It is claimed that the school run is responsible for a large amount of the traffic problems in the morning rush hour. However, the often dramatic reduction in congestion at the start of school holidays, is also because many parents have to go on holiday at this time.

The decreasing amount of exercise and associated increase in obesity are also partly blamed on the school run.

In the United Kingdom, the school run has become a popular target for some politicians and campaigners against the use of cars for journeys which could be better walked or cycled. One of the campaigns promoting this alternative is the walk to school campaign.

In Japan, elementary school children commonly walk to school, while younger children attending kindergarten often use a school bus. School bus travel is also common in North America.