Parent safety perceptions of child walking routes

In this study, parent volunteers conducted an audit of streets and intersections leading to seven elementary schools in a suburban school district. Parents were most likely to feel concern about streets that lacked sidewalks or had sidewalks with obstructions. Wheelchair-accessible routes were seen as appropriate for walking children. Parents expressed concern over safety at intersections, particularly those involving large streets; traffic controls did not mollify their concern. These results support the use of appropriate behavior models for assessing walking choices, highlight the importance of well-maintained sidewalks and age-appropriate crossings for young families, and demonstrate the importance of including the public in street audits.
Source: Journal of Transport and Health - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research