Every fifth elementary school pupil serves as a daily parent chauffeur
In a bid to promote road safety and independence among children, Christina Tillmann, chairwoman of the ADAC Foundation, has called for more elementary school students to make their own way to school.
The advocacy comes after a survey commissioned by the ADAC Foundation revealed that 19% of elementary school students are driven to school every day, and 9% are driven every other day. The survey, which polled 1,000 parents of children aged 5 to 15, also found that bad weather, appointments after school, the school being on their way to work, and a desire to save time are the most common reasons for parents driving their children to school.
Despite these findings, Tillmann believes that allowing children to manage their school journey independently can strengthen their safety, independence, and mutual respect in traffic. She further stated that children learn about road traffic from managing their school journey independently.
However, the ADAC Foundation finds it difficult to reduce the number of "parent taxis" given the reasons provided. Only 12% of parents cited safety concerns as a reason for driving their children to school, with more often, parents driving their children due to appointments after school (40%), because the school is on their way to work (30%), or because they hope to save time (22%).
Interestingly, 58% of parents whose children can walk, cycle, or use a scooter have rejected the idea of driving them to school. The proportion of parents who drive their children to school daily or every other day and refuse to cite child safety concerns as the reason is not explicitly stated in the available search results.
Tillmann's stance aligns with the belief that allowing children to navigate their school journey independently can instil a sense of responsibility and maturity in them. As the weather improves and safety measures are put in place, it may be worth considering the benefits of independent school travel for both the children and the community.
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