Walking and cycling to get to work, school and other places may be a new change to your daily routine because of COVID-19, or it may be something you did before the pandemic. Either way, walking and cycling or wheeling (e.g. skateboarding, roller blading, scootering etc.) is still considered a safe and healthy choice when you take steps to protect yourself and others.
Getting your body moving may be more important now, than ever before, for physical wellness and mental well-being.
Keep in mind the everyday actions to protect yourself and others still apply when being active outdoors, such as practising physical distancing (keeping 2 metres or 6 feet between you and another person), not gathering in groups of more than 10 people and avoiding close contact with people outside of your immediate family or social circle.
School Travel
The Ontario Active School Travel Council has written to the Minister of Education about the plan to re-open schools in September and offered general recommendations and guidelines for safe healthy school travel. The Council recommends active school travel (walking and wheeling) for all students not travelling by school bus or public transit.
The guidelines for school travel include:
- Walking and wheeling to school whenever possible
- Staying at least 2 meters away from others who are not part of your immediate family or your caregiver (e.g. students, other parents/caregivers, crossing guards, patrollers and school staff) at all times
- Wearing a mask when physical distancing is not possible
- Walking and cycling in single file as much as possible
- Where more pedestrians are present on sidewalks/paths near schools, dismount from bikes
- Allowing children to walk/wheel independently all or part of the way to school and practise the route to school before the first day of class
- Collaborating with other families and take turns leading small groups of children to walk/wheel together if children need to be supervised
- And when parents need to drive, park the car one or more blocks from the school site and walk the rest of the way
The following links and resources support individuals as well as parents/caregivers to help their kids to develop skills and confidence as pedestrians and cyclists:
Pedestrian Safety
It is important to be mindful of safety due to traffic congestion in school zones. Remember heads up, phones down, and watch for traffic. Build confidence and skills through teaching children to use their eyes and ears.
Resources:
Bike Safety
Ride with your children until they are approximately 10 years of age when they are able to judge the speed of oncoming traffic. Safer places for children to ride alone can include bike paths and streets with lower speed limits.
Bikes require working brakes, inflated tires, and reflectors and should be the correct size. Always wear a helmet, and fit it properly every time you ride. Obey the rules of the road – learn how to use hand signals. Remember heads up, phones down, and watch for traffic. Finally, never dodge cars and keep alert for open car doors as you ride.
Resources:
Helmet Safety
Anyone under the age of 18 riding a bike for work, school or recreation, needs to know it is the law to wear a helmet. Helmets help prevent head injuries in minor crashes and falls, however they do not prevent concussions. Talk about rules of the road with your children, teach them to share the road, watch for all traffic and ride without distraction.
Resources:
