LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The truth is that cars and schools do not mix safely
9/29/99
Thank you for the recent article, "Expert says Americans focused on false
fears."
Ironically, the same edition carried a more graphic story asking "Can
we keep them safe?" regarding our children. And that story was full of
false fears.
Sensational news stories create the impression that children are
most at risk from crazed gunmen, drug pushers and stranger abductors. Parents
often respond to those fears by driving their children to school. In the
1950s and 1960s, half of all children got to school by walking or by bicycle.
That number is now down to one in ten.
All of that extra driving creates risks that are far greater than
guns, drugs and abductions combined. The most obvious risk is that cars
and schools do not mix safely. Automobiles are the leading cause of death
for children, according to Centers for Disease Control statistics.
Children who are biking and walking to school are put at risk
by those parents who are driving their children to school. More children
die being hit by cars than ever died from crazed gunmen. It just doesn't
make for exciting news stories.
A less-obvious risk is that driving children everywhere deprives
them of exercise as part of their normal daily routine. These patterns
of exercise are set in childhood and last a lifetime. We see alarmingly
rising rates of obesity in children today. The health risks of these poor
exercise habits are much higher than the imagined, overly feared risks
that parents are protecting their kids from by driving them around.
At last year's international Pro Bike/Pro Walk Conference here
in Santa Barbara, one quarter of the hundreds of attendees were public
health officials who were concerned about just this issue.
Even less obvious is the loss of safety in numbers. When lots
of kids are biking and walking to school together they are safer from all
risks. And having a healthier social life as well
We need new safety priorities based on real risk rather than hype.
Just as we ask for drug-free and gun-free areas around schools,
we should ban parents dropping off children with cars within 1,000 feet
of a school building unless medically necessary.
A top priority must be a guarantee that every child is able to
get to school and to recreation without the need to be driven. That means
a real commitment to safe bikeways and walkways and good public transportation,
much more than anything currently proposed.
The good news is that such priorities will benefit everyone!
Robert Bernstein
President
Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition |