Safe walking routes

Information for parents

Assessment

Walking routes are assessed against the following criteria

the child will be accompanied (as necessary)
road width, visibility and the severity of bends
existence of 'safe refuge' – this means footway and verges, road markings at the side of the road
the volume of traffic at the relevant time of day
the type of traffic and its speed
difficulty of road crossings
nature of road (urban or rural) and driver expectation
the presence or absence of speed limits and other warning signs
the accident record along the route

Guidelines used when assessing the availability of a route

The assessment takes into account a range of factors, the fact that there is a high volume of fast-moving traffic is not in itself a reason to assess a route as unsuitable – there may be a footway and good crossing points along the route that would mean it is safe.

The assessment will also consider the impact of a lack of a footway or verge. However, the lack of a footway or verge would not be a reason to assess a route as unsuitable if there was, for instance, a very low volume of traffic and good visibility.

Appealing the outcome of the assessment

If you wish to appeal against the decision that the route is suitable to walk, accompanied as necessary, details of how to do this will be included in your outcome letter. Appeals against route suitability must be focused on the findings from the assessment outlined in your outcome letter/pack. The following will not be considered as reasons for appealing against the safety and availability of the route:

your individual circumstances, for instance, your personal availability to walk with your child or the fact that younger children or prams may impede you
parental finances
local weather conditions
unusual events – such as road closures, construction work, flooding
lack of street lighting – the majority of roads in Oxfordshire do not have streetlights and lighting is not an issue all year round
lack of pavements – the lack of a paved footway is not necessarily a reason to assess a route as unsuitable
the presence of uncut hedges
difficult terrain and arduousness of the route – steep hills are not a hazard
practicality or the time taken to walk the route.

Why have walking routes been reassessed as available?

The council has an ongoing programme to assess walking routes that have previously been identified as unavailable. These reviews take into consideration a number of factors including:

Improvements being made to the highway’s infrastructure
New building developments
New traffic and speed data

The route is unsafe for my child to walk alone

By law parents are responsible for ensuring attendance at school and this includes accompanying their child (where necessary) walking to school. Work and other commitments are expected to be adjusted around the parent/carers responsibility to accompany them to and from school.

Walking in the dark

Generally, school start and finish times are such that children can walk to school in daylight. There will be a period of time when this is before sunrise and after the sun sets, i.e. in twilight hours. In these cases, it is the parents’ responsibility to accompany their child if they feel it is appropriate. You may decide that your child can walk unaccompanied, but the legal responsibility remains with parents to make appropriate arrangements to ensure that their child attends school.

It is highly recommended that you wear high-visibility clothing (e.g., jacket/waistcoat) when walking this route. Fluorescent colours help you be seen in the daytime and near dusk. They work well in dull or rainy weather and when daylight is fading. Reflective materials work at night by bouncing back the light from a source such as car headlights.

Safe walking on country roads

There are no special rules for walking on or crossing country roads. However, country roads often have no pavement, particularly single-track roads. The Highway Code advises that if there is no pavement, you should keep to the right-hand side of the road so that you can see oncoming traffic.

You should take extra care and be prepared to walk in a single file if there are several of you walking. It is important to keep close to the side of the road on narrow roads or in poor light.

The Highway Code also advises that if there is a sharp right-hand bend in the road, it may be safer to cross the road well before the bend so oncoming traffic has a better chance of seeing you. Cross back after the bend.

Are there alternatives to walking?

Other travel options may also exist, including use of public transport and should be explored when considering your travel options.

For example, public buses between Cassington Turn and Eynsham:

If you or your child has additional/mobility needs

We know that some children and/or parents may have additional needs, mobility problems or a severe medical condition preventing them from walking to school, even if the route is deemed available. If you believe this applies to you, then you should reapply for travel support via the council website, providing medical evidence of the disability/medical condition and why walking to school is not possible. Evidence provided will be reviewed to determine if eligibility thresholds have been met to provide free home-to-school travel.