National Walk Safely to School Day

Now in its 26th year, National Walk Safely to School Day is an annual event that encourages students to walk safely to school.

Championed by the Pedestrian Council of Australia, the initiative aims to raise awareness of the health, road safety, transport and environmental benefits that regular walking can provide for long-term wellbeing.

Fewer Australian children walk and bike ride to school than ever before. 

Over the past 40 years the national rate of active travel to school has declined from 75 per cent to 25 per cent. In Perth, the rate is as low as 20 per cent and one half of children travel to school by car despite living less than one kilometre away.

The Department of Transport is leading work to reverse this trend, identifying underlying causes, as well as opportunities to improve rates of walking, wheeling and riding to school.

A key outcome was the development of the multi-year Active Travel to School Roadmap, which addresses the barriers preventing active travel for the school journey.

This work, along with DoT’s free Your Move program is resulting in improved outcomes. Over 340 schools are registered in the program, with rates of active travel among highly engaged schools at 40 per cent, double the state average.

National Walk Safely to School Day is the perfect occasion to kick start a healthy habit.

Whether it’s arranging a walking school bus or considering to park-and-walk, there are many ways get involved.

If you’re keen to make walking to school part of your regular routine, consider signing up to Your Move, which offers plenty of tips and resources to help you discover healthier, more active ways to get around.

Step to it! Encourage the children in your life to walk safely to school this Friday 16 May 2025.