Safe Routes to School: the next steps in the journey

The Safe Routes to School program commenced in South Australia in 1996. This initiative was to increase the safety of all primary school children travelling to and from school as pedestrians, passengers or cyclists. Four outcomes were identified at the time: 1. a safer environment for primary school children travelling to school; 2. an increase in the number of children walking to school; 3. less congestion by motor vehicles around schools; 4. parent participation in road safety community based programs. This South Australian Government program is managed by the Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI). Through the Safe Routes to School program DTEI has engaged in a true partnership to solve the safety issues around the whole school and its adjoining environment. This partnership consists of State and Local Government (with direct involvement from Council's traffic engineer), the school and its community. There are currently over 170 primary schools in the program with 37 of these schools in regional South Australia.