Get Your Kids on the Path to Safety
Safe Routes Utah is replacing SNAP (Student Neighborhood Access Program). The goal of Safe Routes Utah is to help children get to and from school safely while motivating children to experience the benefits of walking or biking to school.
Why Let Your Child Walk or Bike to School?
The benefits include:
Improved Academics
Students who are healthy, awake and alert show improved academic performance and decreased tardiness and absence due to transportation challenges.
Physical Activity
Daily physical activity builds strong bones, muscles and joints. It forms healthy lifelong habits that decrease the risk of chronic disease and obesity.
Social Development
Spending time with family and community provides positive social opportunities.
Safer Students
Traffic safety instruction and practice increases confidence and safe behaviors. It also decreases dangerous traffic congestion during pickup and drop-off.
Cleaner Air
Walking and biking to school reduces the need for bus services and idling cars during pickup and drop-off.
Saves Time and Money
When you avoid driving your kids to school, you save on gasoline and wear and tear on your car.
Safe Routes Utah | Walk & Roll Program
Our guest blogger, Natalie Ockey from Utah’s Adventure Family is passionate about the outdoors and keeping her kids active. Her Utah’s Adventure Family social media accounts give the best tips on places to hike, explore and get moving with your family. Natalie’s kids also participate in the Safe Routes Walk & Roll Challenge to stay active daily during the school year.
Walk. Ride. Win.
Walking to the bus is one of the ways that children can enter the Walk & Roll Challenge. Every day that you and your children walk to the bus stop, you can enter the drawing for a prize for you and your kids.
What Does it Mean to be a Safe Routes Hero?
With a natural inclination to do good, most kids never hesitate to put their helmet on before riding, others will patiently wait at crosswalks until the crossing guard waves them forward, and still others hold the hands of their younger siblings or encourage their friends to put their phones or video games away before crossing the street.
Things You Didn’t Know About Safe Routes Utah
You’ve likely heard of our Walk & Roll Challenge. Word gets around when kids can win a free helmet and scooter, but did you know there is so much more to Safe Routes Utah?
Safe Routes Utah is a state program that encourages kids to walk and bike to and from school safely, the keyword being “safely.” We find multiple ways to teach and encourage safety among students using active transportation. One way we do that is by teaching it.
In September, We Wear Green
Pull out your best green gear and help us bring awareness to school zone safety this month for Green Ribbon Month. Green Ribbon Month was created in Utah to shine a light on school zone safety. Now that school is officially back in session, there are more pedestrians, particularly kids, walking and biking to and from school. It’s a reminder to drivers to watch for kids on their way to school and also a reminder to pedestrians to walk and bike responsibly.
Back To School, Back to Safe Routes
Keeping your child safe is always our top priority. This school year, let’s prepare them for their Safe Route to school, and make it the best year yet.
There’s safety in numbers:
Start a walking group in your neighborhood
It’s like a carpool without the car. Coordinate times when the group will walk past each student’s house for pickup. Rotate parents who can walk with the group.