It IS less than a mile from home to school – in theory mother Karen Van Zon should be able to wave her children off without any concerns.
Instead, the mother of three makes the journey with them, worried that the streets surrounding their primary school in Glenrothes, Fife, are too dangerous for children to navigate alone.
“The last section before the school is really quite dangerous. There are a lot of junctions and crossings and they are exceptionally busy at school drop-off and pick-up times with parents driving their children to and from school,” she says.
“We have had a couple of near-misses from drivers not paying attention when parking and reversing around the school entrance.
“While children can be taught to handle busy traffic that is obeying the Highway Code, they can’t anticipate reversing cars, cars blocking pavements or cars blocking visibility splays and sight lines.”
Mrs Van Zon, 42, says she would prefer to allow her older children to walk or cycle to school unaccompanied, but instead she travels with them every day.
“Because of where the school is situated there isn’t the option of closing roads near the entrance, while addressing the issues with the infrastructure will take a long time.
“It’s very frustrating and dangerous for parents and children who have to negotiate the route on foot or bike every day.
“The situation encourages people to drive as they feel it will be safer.”
Mrs Van Zon is hoping raising awareness of the problems faced by parents who wish their children to cycle to school will lead to her concerns, and those of other parents, who feel it is not safe, to be addressed by councils and the Government.
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