14 May 2018
National Walk Safely to School Day is an annual event when all primary school children will be encouraged to walk and commute safely to school. It is a community event seeking to promote road safety, health, public transport and the environment.
The event will be held throughout Australia on Friday 18 May 2018.
The objectives of WSTSD are:
• To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children and reinforce safe pedestrian behaviour.
• To promote the health benefits of walking and help create regular walking habits at an early age.
• To ensure that children up to 10 years old hold an adult's hand when crossing the road.
• To help children develop the vital road-crossing skills they will need as they become mature pedestrians.
• To reduce the car dependency habits that are being created at an early age and which will be difficult to change as children become adults.
• To promote the use of Public Transport.
• To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles.
• To reduce the level of traffic congestion.
This day is a wonderful opportunity for us to talk to our children as we walk them to school, reminding them of the rules and describing how they can keep themselves safe.