Help children become healthier, happier and more active by walking

The cost of driving children from A to B (C and D...)

With the help of volunteer Elena Strelnikova we're challenging the notion that driving is a more convenient option for busy families. A paper released in January showed "convenience" as the main reason parents drive their children to the school gate. Alarmingly the report found "if children don’t walk or cycle to school, they tend not to walk or ride to any other destination" with consequences for long-term health.

We believe it's important to question the costs of missed opportunities for young people to be active and move towards independent travel. One of the paper's authors pointed the finger at planning and policy decisions facilitating Victoria's car-centric culture: “Schools need to be located in residential neighbourhoods with a variety of walkable destinations and infrastructure such as well-connected footpaths and bike trails, as well as reducing traffic risks and hazards."

View and share Elena's illustrations at our website http://www.victoriawalks.org.au/primary/