Deciding whether to let your child walk or bike alone

Published on August 07, 2024

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Children’s ability to understand and decide where to walk and cross the street changes as they grow and develop. As parents and caregivers, you get to determine when your child is ready to travel to school alone. How do you know when your child is ready? Here are a few things to consider when making your decision.
 
Review the checklist here to assess your child’s readiness to walk or bike alone to school.(PDF, 94KB)
 
Children aged four to six need to walk with adults who will make safety a priority because they are still learning what it means to be safe. These years are the time to teach skills that prepare children to be safe walkers. Here are some reasons this age group should walk together with an adult:
  • Their limited judgment makes it hard for them to know where or when it is safe to cross the road.
  • They cannot gauge the speed of oncoming traffic.
  • They can be impulsive and lose concentration quickly.
  • They may have difficulty staying focused on one task, such as crossing the road.

Children aged seven to nine can begin learning more complicated pedestrian safety tasks, but this age group should still walk together with an adult. The best way to learn is by repeating safe pedestrian skills with an adult. Here are some things to keep in mind for this age group:

  • They need supervision as they learn more complicated pedestrian safety skills.
  • They can begin to identify safe crossing sites with help and practice.
  • They start learning how to identify traffic and stay focused while crossing the street with support and training.

Children 10 and older gradually can learn more complicated pedestrian safety tasks. They should still be with an adult while walking near or around traffic until they consistently demonstrate safe pedestrian and bicyclist skills and good judgment. As children grow, revisit safety issues such as identifying safe crossing sites and traffic flows to make sure they are still practicing safe behavior.

Keep these guidelines in mind for these older students:

  • They need specific instructions and modeling as they learn more complicated pedestrian and bicyclist safety skills.
  • They can identify safe crossing sites with help and practice.
  • They can identify traffic and stay focused while crossing the street with help and practice.
  • They can find a mix of independence and supervision.
  • They can follow the rules of the road when biking.
  • They are predictable.
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