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Table of Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Safety First!
Safety First!
Eco-friendly traveling can require us to consider things we might not have worried about before. Letting kids travel to school on their own can be scary for us adults, but sometimes our fears aren't reflected by the data. For example some people worry about their kids being safe from strangers when out on their bikes, but studies found that girls with bikes were safer than girls without access to bikes, because they could move more freely and faster than children on foot.
Similarly people assume cars keep their kids safe, but the data shows most travel-related deaths being linked to drivers of cars.
Whether you walk or ride with your kid, or let them travel alone, children will be safer if you:
Establish rules and boundaries. Let them know if there is a road they can't pass, this boundary should expand as their become more reliable. Tell them if there is a time they need to be home by, and who to go to if they can't get home or another emergency happens.
If your mode of travel requires safety gear like a helmet or knee pads, make sure these fit properly and that children know they have to wear them every time they want to ride or roll. Click here to learn about properly fitting a helmet and basic bike-safety tips.
Travel around with them before letting them go out alone. Young children need to learn with a trusted adult how to safely cross a road, where important land marks are (the park or library for example), this can help them avoid getting lost.
Make a plan for you child in case they get lost. This should include an up-to date photo of your child, as well as making sure they know who to ask for help, such as a shop clerk or police officer.
Get involved in your community's safety programs.
General Tips for Stress-Free Travel
General Tips for Stress-Free Travel
Don't feel like you have to change 100% of your habits immediately. If you don't usually walk or cycle, then start with one day a week, or just mornings or just afternoons, then build your muscles. Slowly challenge yourself to do more, or choose transport mode according to where else you will need to go on a given day, or with respect to weather conditions.
Try a test trip to places like school or your doctor's office before your scheduled visit. This will let you know if you need to add more time for to cross at intersections, or if a short cut through a park will let you cut off a few minutes that would have been spent sitting in traffic with your regular drive.
Bring water and a snack for long trips.
Wear appropriate protection. A sun hat or cap, umbrella, rain coat, and appropriate shoes or warm clothes can make the difference between a fun journey and extreme discomfort. Check the weather in case a cold front or storm hit in the afternoon.
Use map or app if you are in a new place.
Take breaks! This is especially important if you have a smaller child, or one of you isn't used to the new mode of travel. Little kids may want to be picked up, or get tired of skates before they get to the end of your street. Starting with short trips, with plenty of breaks will help build their muscles, and keep the learning process fun.
Similar Options
Similar Options
Striders
Striders
These are bikes without pedals. In some countries they are common for teaching toddlers how to balance without the complication or frustration of learning to use pedals.
Striders: Toddlers on Bikes with No Pedals Inventing Tricks
1:07 minute video.
The Denver Post - These young athletes are preparing for the “Toddler Tour de France” a world champion strider bike race.
Skate Boards
Skate Boards
Walking
Walking
Safety Tips
Safety Tips
How to Get Your Child to Wear a Bike Helmet "Riding a bicycle is an excellent way for kids to spend time outdoors getting exercise. It's also an Earth friendly way to get around. Falls from bicycles cause serious head and facial injuries, though, so make sure your child wears a helmet for every ride.
Here are tips on how to help your child get into the habit."
Roller Skates
Roller Skates
Roller and inline skates require better balance than just walking, but the wheels make this a faster mode of transport once past the learning stage. In addition to a helmet, anyone using this mode of transportation should also use knee and elbow pads to prevent joint injuries.
Skateboarding
Skateboarding
Traditional skateboards relied on Canadian Maple and other types of wood, contributing to deforestation, however companies are now switching to alternatives including bamboo and trash to build eco-friendly boards that'll help keep our planet cool when you choose skateboarding over car rides.
Resources
Resources
Community
Community
NACTO: Urban Stree Design Guide "A blueprint for designing 21st century streets, the Guide unveils the toolbox and the tactics cities use to make streets safer, more livable, and more economically vibrant. The Guide outlines both a clear vision for complete streets and a basic road map for how to bring them to fruition."
School Zones
School Zones
Safe Kids: Take Action Toolkit: How to Fix Unsafe School an Zone in Your Community "Find strategies, advocacy tips, model documents, and resources provided by our Public Policy team to help you work in your communityto make safety changes to your school zone. Changes covered in ouraction plans can improve safety for pedestrians, bike riders and all of us near schools.You can learn more about child safety risks in our report, "Alarming Dangers in School Zones," which led to the development of our Take Action Toolkit."
Family & Friends
Family & Friends
How to Get Your Child to Wear a Bike Helmet "Riding a bicycle is an excellent way for kids to spend time outdoors getting exercise. It's also an Earth friendly way to get around. Falls from bicycles cause serious head and facial injuries, though, so make sure your child wears a helmet for every ride.
Here are tips on how to help your child get into the habit."
Organizations
Organizations
For bike-specific organizations, click the Bike Advocacy Groups button to learn which organizations are working in your area, or explore the International section for resource on how to start your own group.
International
International
Safe Kids Worldwide® "is a nonprofit organization working to help families and communities keep kids safe from injuries. Most people are surprised to learn preventable injuries are the #1 killer of kids in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost every one of these tragedies is preventable.
Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 400 coalitions in the United States and with partners in more than 30 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more."TUMI "supports transport projects all around the world and enables policy makers to transform urban mobility. TUMI is based on three pilars: innovation, knowledge, investment. We support innovative pilot projects around the whole world. We share knowledge with planners about modern mobility concepts, in workshops and conferences. We invest in construction and modernisation of sustainable urban infrastructure."
Europe
Europe
UK
UK
Getting the Balance "was created after the incredible success of our Charity Bike Build. The charity Home-Start approached us, to see if we could provide something similar for their younger children.
The event contributes to their health and wellbeing project, with the aim of reducing pollution on the school run through donations of balance bikes and scooters to families living in poverty, disability or mental health difficulties.
Working in teams, Getting the Balance will see your participants facing head-to-head challenges to earn the parts to win your bike and scooter parts. Both cerebral and physical challenges, there’s a challenge for everyone!
The exercise a school run gives a child, helps to boost and support their mental health, with schools commenting that children arrive ready to learn, if they’ve already had exercise before they arrive."
North America
North America
National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) "NACTO’s mission is to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life."
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is a national clearinghouse for information about health and safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement, access, and mobility for pedestrians (including transit users) and bicyclists. PBIC's mission is to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity. To accomplish that mission, the PBIC manages several websites, produces a variety of reports, guides and case studies, and offers training and technical assistance.
Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. Communities are recognized for working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort.
USA
USA
National Complete Streets Coalition News of complete streets activities from around the country and proposed federal legislation plus resources including fact sheets and a PowerPoint presentation.
New York
Transportation Alternatives "For 50 years, Transportation Alternatives has led the movement for safe, equitable streets in New York City. TA uses a combination of neighborhood-level grassroots organizing and citywide advocacy to push for changes in public policy, street design, enforcement, and resource allocation that transform our city’s streets for the better."
The Transportation Renaissance in NYC is being Led by THIS Group
23:24 minute video "Discover the transformative infrastructure changes that TA has advocated for over the years- like the iconic Prospect Park West protected bike lane, the game-changing Queens Boulevard redesign, and the ever-expanding network of Citi Bike stations."
Maps
Maps
North America
North America
USA
USA
Walk Friendly Community Map "A Walk Friendly Community is a city or town that has shown a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans, and policies. Communities apply to the program to receive recognition in the form of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation. [With this map] you can sort and view profiles for communities that have been designated since the program began in 2011."
Washington
Explore the Walkability of DC Neighborhoods (Interactive) "Select a neighborhood to learn more about who lives in that community"
Further Reading
Further Reading
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