[sustran] Re: [LotsLessCars] Will you let your children cycle to school ? I won't

[Chris Bradshaw]

The idea that children should get to school via independent movement, rather
than being driven in school buses or their caregiver's car is a worthy goal.

However, cycling is a poorer choice than walking.

First, cycling without an adult is not recommended by cyclist-trainers
before the age of 10, and then only on residential streets.

Second, such children need a cycling course first.

Unfortunately, children are provided bikes long before their 10th birthdays.
During that time, they use it as a plaything, usually emulating their
parents' behaviour towards cars.  Also, they don't learn how to get places
on their own.  These are bad attitudes that must be changed before letting
them move about on their own.

Since the use of a bike is only an advantage over walking when the trip is
in excess of about 2 kms, the child should not need using it until their
cognitive abilities allow them to grasp the specifics of the road-path
network over a 16-square-km area.  And that is about the time that they can
survive along the cruel, car-dominated streets they will encounter, and have
the strength for that length of trip.

In any case, within the 2-km distance, I find that children quickly tire of
bike use for the trip to school, and switch back to walking.  It's far more
social, and it avoids them having their favourite 'steed' stolen.

Chris Bradshaw
Ottawa

= = = original message = = = =

- primary school pupils want to cycle to school on their own but parents'
concerns are stopping them.

- 90% of youngsters have bikes and more than 30% of them would like to cycle
to school, only 1% actually do

- parents who drive their children to school risk creating a habit of
dependency that undermines children's confidence and self-reliance

- It's a great shame children are being denied the opportunity to experience
this (cyling) independence because parents are worried about their safety on
the roads

All above remarks from THE HERALD (UK) can be applied to Singapore directly.
I am just wondering how many cities (developing or not) are facing similar
problems?

Chu Wa
Commuter cyclist
Father of two



The full news:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.1247222.0.0.php



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