is a series of videos and resources for students that lays out age-appropriate tips for elementary, middle, and high school students. Topics covered include walking on streets without sidewalks, crossing busy intersections, as well as how to interact with drivers. While these videos can be watched one-on-one, there are also lesson plans for educators.
Younger walkers may benefit from seeing different situations they might encounter while walking. This series of videos from our friends at North Carolina Safe Routes to School, designed for students from Kindergarten to 5th grade, includes helpful tips for real-life walking conditions, such as walking through parking lots, crossing an intersection, and catching the school bus.
When you head out, remember these tips to be safe:
1. Pay attention and make sure drivers can see you
2. Walk or roll on the sidewalk or a path
3. If there’s no sidewalk or path, always walk facing traffic
4. When you cross the street, look left, then look right, and left again to make sure it’s clear before stepping off the curb
5. If there’s a traffic signal, wait for the walk sign before crossing
After your walk
This checklist from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Centercan help you rate how walkable your neighborhood is. There are many factors that can make it harder to walk, like missing sidewalks, speeding drivers, or trash and debris. The checklist not only helps you rate the walkability of your community, but provides advice on how to make your community more walkable.
Not everyone may feel comfortable walking in their neighborhood. In those cases, it’s still okay to “walk in place” inside your home, apartment or neighborhood complex, a local park, community center, or other safe space. These resources will still be helpful to teach good walking habits.
With these helpful resources, you’ll be ready to go on lots of walks during Walk to School Month! Don’t forget to register one of your activities atwww.walkbiketoschool.org so your school will get counted.
