Hey everyone! Get ready to lace up your shoes because from May 20th to May 24th, it’s Walk to School Week here in the UK! This fantastic event, put together by the folks at Living Streets, invites kids, parents, and the whole neighbourhood to discover the joys and perks of strolling to school. Not only is it a lovely way to start the day, but you’ll also be waving goodbye to some of those pesky fuel costs.
Research by Regtransfers discovered that trading in wheels for walking could lead you to savings equal to three years of a Netflix subscription!
But first, let’s chat about school commutes in England. On average, they’re about two and a half miles long. Even with buses and cars at our fingertips, nearly half of our students are already choosing to hit the pavement and walk, which is pretty impressive. But we’ve still got some work to do because road safety is a big worry for a lot of families. More folks would join the walking brigade if the streets were a bit friendlier for our two-legged travellers.
Walk to School Week isn’t just a one-off—it’s a chance to see how leaving the car keys at home can make a difference. For example, if you’ve got a car journey of two and a half miles back and forth to school, with petrol at £1.50, you’re looking at spending about £2.18 every day just on fuel.
Now, if you’re thinking that’s not a massive saving for just one week, you’re right. But let’s zoom out and think about the whole school year, which is at least 190 days long in the UK. If you add up the cost of all those school runs, you’re talking about at least £414.20 a year. To put that in Netflix terms, that’s like three years’ worth of binge-watching your favourite shows!
Walking to school isn’t just kind on your wallet; it’s a win for your health and the environment too. Frequent short drives aren’t great for your car, and they can bump up those maintenance bills. Plus, by reducing the number of cars on the road during the school rush, we can cut down on traffic jams, make the air cleaner, and build a stronger community vibe. So, how about we give it a go? Who’s with me for a walk to school?
Specialist Advice
Addressing some of the most common reasons one might avoid walking to school, Regtransfers CEO Mark Trimbee offers the following advice:
“If the walk to school is too much for younger children – or simply too far in general – consider driving part-way and walking the rest. If you feel like you don’t have enough time in the morning, consider starting your day and setting off a little earlier if you can. And, if you’re worried about road safety, consider that if everyone jumps on the “trend” of walking to school, the roads will be naturally less congested. This Walk To School Week, let’s not ask ‘Why should we?’, but rather ‘What’s stopping us?’”.