The School Run is a modern phenomenon associated with parents taking their children to school by car. Outside most British schools you will see cars parked near the school gates with parents dropping off and picking up their children at the appropriate times.

In the past it was not unusual for most children to walk to school, either on their own, with friends, or accompanied by an adult. However, this is largely being replaced by parents using cars, sometimes in a rota with other parents.

This reasons for this are manifold. Firstly, in many cases both parents work and do not have time to walk their children to school, and do not know any other parents who have the time either. Secondly, even if the children are old enough to walk on their own (or cycle), most parents are worried that something may happen to them, e.g. abduction, car accidents etc.

Ironically, the risk of children being run over near their schools is much higher than in the past due to all the parents driving their own children to school and parking in unsafe places near the school gates. It is not unusual to see cars parking in bus stops, on pedestrian crossings or facing the wrong way, with children getting in or out of the car.

The fear that something may happen to the children is perhaps more to do with media coverage of isolated (but tragic) cases than any real threat.

Some schools now have a 20mph speed limit operating when the children are about. Though traffic congestion often necessitates a lower speed.

A further problem in recent times has been an increasing level of choice by parents as to which school their children go to. Obviously the inevitable result is that kids may have further to travel and are more likely to require a bus or a lift in the car.

It is claimed that the school run is responsible for a large amount of the traffic problems in the morning rush hour. However, the often dramatic reduction in congestion at the start of school holidays, is also due to the fact that many parents have to go on holiday at this time.

The decreasing amount of exercise and associated increase in obesity are also partly blamed on the school run.

In the United Kingdom, the school run has become a popular target for some politicians and campaigners against the use of cars.

External references

• BBCi News Article