Cycling puts you in control

Cycling to school can enhance your self confidence and independence.  Cycling to school is also an excellent opportunity to learn important life skills.

By cycling to school you become independent and don’t need to rely on others for a lift or have long waits for the bus.

                                                     
Children who ride to school (after receiving cycle training) develop road sense, and decision making skills which you carry over into adult life.  There is also the potential that cycling experience from an early age in life will provide vital and useful skills that you can transfer into other forms of road use such as driving a car or motorbike.

Children who receive on-road cycle training for cycling to school can also use their bicycle as a means of transport out-with the school journey.  Opportunities exist to cycle to meet friends, go places, and not require parents to ferry them around at the weekends.

In the 1970s, over 80% of children aged 8-11 travelled to school independently. In 1985, this had fallen to 50%, and currently, that figure is approximately 20%.  This is a lost opportunity to learn important life skills, and currently children spend more time in cars traveling to school than they do in physical education. In hands up surveys at school 31% of children would like to be independent and cycle to school while only 1% currently cycle to school.

Research conducted by YouGov for Cycling England also highlighted the following views from parents:
• 67 per cent of parents see improved health and fitness as a key benefit of their child cycling to school
• 59 per cent of parents whose child cycles to school regularly noticed an improvement in their child’s physical development and a quarter say cycling has improved their child’s mental development
• 36 per cent of parents feel that by cycling to school, their child would help to reduce congestion and pollution

                                                                 
Finding out more:
There are many websites that give great advice about cycling. Cycling Scotland would recommend the following.

Safe Routes to Schools – SUSTRANS  is a great resource for a wide range of information, including information specific to Scotland

Eco-Schools  Advice and information on environmental issues of concern to schools and pupils, including transport issues.

Health Promoting schools Outlines the  benefits of integrating cycling to school into everyday school life

Road Safety Scotland  Produce a range of resources including the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme to promote road safety awareness.