School-run starts within 500 yards of gate

Published on 29/08/2012 00:00

ONE in ten parents who live within 500 yards of their child’s school admit driving them to the school gates, new research suggests.

A third of children who live less than a mile from school get a lift, while two-thirds (68 per cent) of parents would rather their children walk to school but give them lifts because of time pressure. Researchers questioned 2,000 adults with school-age children about how they got to school. Tamsin Kelly, editor of parentdish.co.uk, which commissioned the research, said:“These findings are shocking, especially when the Olympics have inspired so many children to want to be more physically active. Jumping in the car for the school-run may be the easy option, especially when we’re all so time pressed, but leaving a little more time to walk to school really does reap rewards for everyone.”