Citation

Evers C, Boles S, Johnson-Shelton D, Schlossberg MA, Richey D. J. Transp. Health 2014; 1(2): 108-115.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jth.2014.03.003

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Walking rates to school remain low for U.S. children in large part due to parent concern for child safety. Little research exists that identifies which features of streets and intersection lead parents to feel that walking is unsafe for their children. In this study, parent volunteers conducted an audit of streets and intersections leading to seven elementary schools in a suburban school district. Parents were most likely to feel concern about streets that lacked sidewalks or had sidewalks with obstructions. Wheelchair-accessible routes were seen as appropriate for walking children. Parents expressed concern over safety at intersections, particularly those involving large streets; traffic controls did not mollify their concern. These results support the use of appropriate behavior models for assessing walking choices, highlight the importance of well-maintained sidewalks and age-appropriate crossings for young families, and demonstrate the importance of including the public in street audits.

Language: en