Safe Routes to School Program

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Safe Routes to School Program

• Department of Health
• Injury Prevention and Control Program

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• Thirty years ago, more than 71 percent of all
  children in the United States walked to school.1
  
• Today, less than 17 percent of all American
  children walk or bike to school due to real or
  perceived traffic safety and personal safety
  concerns.
• Belden Russonello Stewart, Americans
  Attitudes Toward Walking and Creating Better
  Walking Communities, 2003

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• Being hit by a car while walking is the second
  leading cause of ambulance -attended injury to
  children aged 5 to 14 years on Oahu.
• More than 130 child pedestrians in this age group
  are injured annually statewide, and more than
  one-third of these injuries occur between 7 a.m.
  and 3 p.m.

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• Safe Routes to School Project encourages families
  to increase their daily activity level by
  promoting the development, use and expansion of
  safe walking paths and bike routes in the
  community.

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• Our goal is to increase physical activity by
  addressing
• environmental factors,
• traffic awareness, and
• safety issues
• to reduce risk of injury.

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Pilot Project Kailua Kona

• Kahakai School Complex From 2003 2004
• Increase of 51 more students walking to school
• Increase from 0 11 students riding their bikes
  to school

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Increase in walking and biking attributed to

• Derelict car clean up along path around school
  campus.
• Vicious dogs secured better behind fences.
• Pathway cleanup by neighbors of drug related
  rubbish resulted in clearing area of drug users.
• More parents walking to and from school with
  their children for exercise.

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So What?

• How is this program going to help our children
  become healthier adults?

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One step at a time

• The journey of 1,000 miles begins with one
  step Lao Tzu

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Studies Show

• It is well documented that developing healthy
  eating and exercise habits at an early age can
  lead to a lifelong personal commitment to a
  healthy lifestyle.

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• Public health officials and scientists agree that
  everyone should accumulate 30 minutes of physical
  activity every day to reduce the risk of chronic
  disease and early death.
• A brisk walk tops their list of recommendations.

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On top of the daily 30 minutes of moderate
physical activity

• children need another 20 minutes of vigorous
  activity several days per week.
• - Yet (across the US) 78 of young boys and girls
  fall short of this recommended dose of exercise.

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Exercise and Youth

• Nearly half of young people aged 12-21 years do
  not engage in vigorous physical activity on a
  regular basis.
• Participation in physical activity declines
  strikingly as children get older.

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Exercise and Youth

• Health professionals agree that exercise patterns
  need to be established in childhood to reduce the
  chances of developing
• Coronary heart disease,
• Diabetes,
• High blood pressure,
• Obesity,
• Osteoporosis,
• and possibly reduce the risk of Cancer.

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• Walking is an excellent form of exercise!
• It stimulates and maintains muscular strength and
  good joint function
• It can be maintained throughout your life
• It does not provoke hip, knee or other weight
  bearing injuries.

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Physical activity helps kids

• concentrate,
• makes them stronger and more energetic,
• prevents weight gain,
• keeps bodies supple, keeps hair and skin looking
  good, and
• contributes to higher self-esteem, and lower
  anxiety and stress

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SR2S

• What is the process?
• Once youve decided you want to incorporate a
  Safe Routes Program at your school

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Assemble your team

• Who are the key decision makers involved in a
  safe routes program, and who will this program
  directly affect?
• Parents,
• Principals,
• Resource Teachers,
• Classroom Teachers,
• Students and
• Community Members

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Baseline Surveys

• What is being measured and why are baseline
  measures so important?
• Counting the number of walkers before, during,
  and after SR2S events can help quantify activity
  and behavioral changes by measuring the impact of
  your schools SR2S program activities.

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Assessment of Surveys

• Once survey tools are returned and the
  assessments are completed by the Department of
  Health, focus groups made up of team members
  (e.g., school representatives, community members
  and parents) will review the assessment and begin
  the process of mapping out a safe routes program.
  

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Mapping Safe Routes

• Determining the safest routes for your children
  to get to and from school involves pinpointing
  possible problem areas (e.g., where traffic is
  heaviest) and identifying alternative paths for
  children walking to school as well as those being
  driven to school.

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Events

• Kick off events and periodic contests help
  perpetuate the program.
• Once a Safe Route is determined, the team can
  decide if there are enough volunteers to do a
  daily, weekly, or even monthly walking bus
  program.

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Classroom Activities

• Reinforce pedestrian safety and walking as a
  preferred activity.
• Teachers are an important link in the successful
  reinforcement of pedestrian safety lessons
  learned through participation in the Safe Routes
  to Schools Program.

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• The Safe Routes to School Program
• (SR2S) works in tandem with the recommended
• Eight Components of Coordinated School Health
  Programs
• and the
• Ten Strategies for Promoting Lifelong Physical
  Activity
• As reported by the CDC

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Several factors important in increasing physical
activity and fitness that work with SR2S Program

• Families who model and support participation in
  enjoyable physical activity
• (such as walking to school).

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• 2. SR2S supports the need for School Programs
  that
• help students develop the knowledge, attitudes,
  skills, behaviors and confidence to adopt and
  maintain physically active lifestyles

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• 3. SR2S supports
• A community structural environment that makes
  it easy and safe for young people to walk, ride
  bicycles, and use close-to-home physical activity
  facilities.

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Website

• Department of Health
• Injury Prevention Program Website
• http//www.hawaii.gov/health/healthy-lifestyles/in
  jury-prevention/
• prevprojects/walkcomm

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Thank you!For more information about the SR2S
Programplease contactAileen UchidaWalkable
Communities /Safe Routes to School
Coordinator586-4661