Feet feat for school walkers!
Published Friday 7th October 11 in Council - news and information releases news
Youngsters who walk to school this month will achieve a great feat.
To celebrate Walk to School month during October, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Road Safety Team has given all primary schools in the borough a special Walk to School wall chart.
And foot-powered pupils are being invited to fill them in to help each school keep tabs on the most enthusiastic walkers so the keenest can be rewarded.
The team will also be making regular visits to schools to inspire pupils and help them give assemblies on the advantages of walking to their lessons and general road safety..
Schools will also be assisted to set up 'park and stride' schemes where parents who have no option but to drive their children to school are encouraged to park in a designated area at least 10 minutes from the playground so they can walk the final section of the journey together.
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox, said: "Walking to school brings a host of benefits.
"It helps promote road safety and enables the children to arrive at school alert and ready to learn, as well as contributing to their recommended hour a day of exercise.
"In addition, it helps cut down pollution around the school, reduces the number of cars on the road and can save the parents up to £400 - the estimated annual cost of the school run."
According to the Department for Transport:
- the number of children travelling to school by car has doubled in the last 20 years
- parents drive an average of 60 miles annually to take children to school and back
- one in five cars in the morning rush hour is on the school run
- four out of 10 boys and six out of 10 girls do not get the recommended hour a day of physical activity
- walking uses 200 of your body muscles and burns 100 calories an hour
- walking an extra 20 minutes a day burns off 7lbs of fat a year
- every minute of walking can extend your life by an average of one and a half to two minutes and
- walking will enable you to reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes, stroke and stress.