For a road that has sidewalks on both sides of the road, it is acceptable to walk on the sidewalk on either side of the road (facing oncoming traffic or your back to oncoming traffic) because you are separated from the automobiles.
For a road with a sidewalk only on one side, it is recommended to use the sidewalk for traveling in either direction (with traffic or against traffic). Again the sidewalk helps separate you from the automobiles.
Please visit the resource section in the Education chapter of our Safe Routes to School Guide. Here you will find a host of resources and weblinks to bicycle safety curriculum.
The National Center for Safe Routes to School does not have an image library. However, if you are interested in images of children walking and bicycling to school please visit the International Walk to School Day photo library at IWalk.org. Here you will find hundreds of images searchable by county, region, city and year.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) and safety education can be integrated into traditional classroom subjects to meet education standards in many ways. Examples include:
Messages to neighbors depend on local conditions. If there are environmental barriers to safe walking routes, often the neighbors can help.
Messages for neighbors include:
A good time to provide safety messages to drivers is while they are in their motor vehicles near the school such as through signage, enforcement strategies and media:
A variety of strategies can be used to reach parents as they teach their children safety skills, and drive on the school campus and adjacent streets.
In relation to Safe Routes to School (SRTS), parents play a role in their child's safety in three ways: 1. as teachers of safety behaviors, 2. as drivers on the school campus during drop-off and pick-up times, 3. as drivers near the school.
Different messages apply to parents for each of these roles:
1. Parents as teachers
Parents need to know the following: