Devon primary schools to put focus on children’s rights to walk safely  

Primary schools in Devon have just six weeks to get involved with a new road safety project that focuses on giving children the right to walk safely in their communities.

Brake’s Kids Walk, in partnership with Co-op Insurance, will see thousands of children, aged 4-11, put their best feet forward to promote road safety and the health and planet-saving benefits of walking.

The short, supervised walks will take place on Wednesday 13 June 2018 at or around schools, with children walking in a crocodile formation and holding hands to promote the importance of kids being able to walk without fear or threat from traffic.

So far more than 3,500 children from South West schools have registered to take part, with thousands more expected to get involved over the next month. These include schools from Cornwall, Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire.

The project, coordinated by road safety charity Brake, is calling on five measures to help keep children safe: footpaths, cycle paths, safe places to cross, slow traffic and clean traffic.

Every school that registers will receive a free action pack full of posters, banners, lesson plans, assembly presentations and activities to run with their children. Bilingual resources will be available for schools in Wales. And hundreds of schools will use the event as a fundraiser for Brake - the charity that supports families who have lost loved ones in road crashes.

The charity has also teamed up with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) to help local police and fire officers support schools with their walks, especially those that have problems with traffic and parking.