Transport Studies Group

The Family and the School Run - What would make a real difference?

Summary of the Project

Background

The school journey is very important in terms of children's travel requirements - in fact, a third of all journeys made by children are for education purposes. There are increasing concerns about the high levels of car use for the school journey and the contribution that such journeys make to congestion. National Travel Survey statistics show that on average 29% of pupils travelled to school by car in 1995/97, a sixty percent increase since the mid 1980s. These journeys account for almost a fifth of all car journeys in progress in urban areas at the busiest part of the morning rush-hour during term time. There are also concerns that children who are ferried everywhere by car have less opportunity for exercise as part of their daily routine and are not developing the road skills they need as pedestrians or cyclists. Prompted by these concerns, the AA Foundation for Road Safety Research commissioned the Transport Studies Group to undertake research on the 'school run'.

The project was in the form of a scoping study, which aimed to:

Set out the current situation;

Scope the nature of the problem and possible solutions; and

Provide recommendations for further research in this area.

The main objective of the study was to find out what would make a real difference to reducing car dependence for the school journey. This was achieved by:

undertaking an in-depth analysis of the current patterns of travel to/from school;

examining school travel in the broader context of children’s lifestyles;

investigating factors influencing car use; and

identifying the barriers to change and possible solutions.

The first part of the study was a literature review and examination of existing data on relevant topics. This was followed by new exploratory survey work. Twenty household interviews were undertaken with families in Hertfordshire and Leeds, the aim of which was to examine the factors which influence the decision to drive a child to school and to identify the barriers to change. The information from the household interviews also contributed to the development of solutions and the identification of areas for further research by providing a detailed understanding of the issues involved. In order to gain a national picture of children's travel patterns, activities and barriers to change, questions were added to a weekly 'omnibus' survey undertaken by a market research company. The questions were designed to determine why parents use particular modes and provided perceptual/attitudinal data to complement National Travel Survey data.

The study team was keen to ensure that the proposals being developed are appropriate to the needs of those making and implementing policy in this area. The literature review was, therefore, supplemented by interviews with 'experts' in particular aspects relating to the study e.g. child health, and with policy practitioners with a particular interest in the school journey e.g. representatives of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and local government.

In addition to the interviews a one-day workshop was held towards the end of the study, bringing together a range of policy makers, practitioners and others with an interest in children's travel and the school journey. The aim of the workshop was to discuss the findings of the research, to review the preliminary ideas proposed in the scoping study and to consider how to take these ideas forward.

Ruth Bradshaw
Research Fellow,
Transport Studies Group, University of Westminster,
35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7911 5834
Fax: +44 (0)20 7911 5057
E-mail: tsgadmin@westminster.ac.uk