Safe and healthy journeys to school

Now more than ever, safe and healthy journeys to school are crucial. An epidemic on wheels has led road traffic injuries to be the #1 killer of those ages 5-29. Today, young people are further threatened by a global pandemic.

The journey to school now poses a double threat – road traffic, and COVID-19. Here, students queue for school alongside a road in South Africa while following COVID-19 protocols.

The journey to and from school must be safe from both of these threats. Many of the solutions for one threat also address the other – such as reducing urban vehicle speed, promoting walking and cycling, avoiding unnecessary vehicle journeys, and creating more space for drop-off and pick-up – key interventions as COVID-19 is less likely to spread outdoors. These measures enable safe physical distancing and help to lower air pollution which emerging evidence suggests may exacerbate COVID-19.

UNICEF, with support from Child Health Initiative (CHI) and members such as Save the Children, has issued  guidance to help manage COVID-19 risks and to ensure the safest, healthiest journeys to school possible for all children, including those with disabilities. CHI is also hosting a global database to share examples of safe and healthy school journeys during the pandemic. This includes examples from UK and many other countries.