Walking almost as safe as driving to school: study

Children walking to school are slightly more likely to suffer accidents than those driven there, but researchers say this is outweighed by worse injuries when vehicles are involved.

Auckland University of Technology associate professor Grant Schofield, who is conducting an extensive study with the Accident Compensation Corporation, says only about 1 per cent of injuries to children occur on the way to or from school.

Of almost 634,000 compensation claims made for youngsters aged 5 to 17 in the two years to the end of last June, only about 7500 followed accidents on roads between 7.30am and 9am or between 3pm and 4.30pm on school days.

More than 3000 of these accidents involved vehicles.

About 2300 claims were lodged for child pedestrians, and just over 2000 for youngsters in motor vehicles.

Most of the other accidents involved cyclists, but Dr Schofield and ACC injury prevention programme manager Simon Gianotti want to complete more analysis before drawing conclusions about the relative dangers of pedalling to school.

Dr Schofield, who heads AUT's centre for physical activity and nutrition research, acknowledged that the higher injury statistic referred to a smaller group of children.

A separate AUT study of five Auckland primary schools shows that about 35 per cent of their pupils walk to classes compared with 50 per cent given lifts in family cars.

The figures were even more disproportionate before travel-planning projects began at the schools in the past year or so, when only about 28 per cent walked and 55 per cent were driven.

But Dr Schofield said any greater risk from walking was more than compensated by the general health benefits of exercise, including a better chance of warding off a lifetime of obesity.

Mr Gianotti said vehicles were involved in just over a quarter of injuries suffered by child pedestrians in the hours covered by the research, and almost as many were caused by slips and falls.

"Our data has found that ... the motor vehicle is a key factor in accidents involving New Zealand kids, and this really backs up what the police are doing," he said in reference to an anti-speeding crackdown around schools.

Dr Schofield said the study, which is not due to be published in detail for another four or five months, was the only one of its type in the world.

The study was also only possible due to the wealth of information available from New Zealand's unique "no fault" accident reporting system.