As many as 100,000 primary school children were today - Wednesday - taking part in walks to promote road safety.
The annual Giant Walk event was being organised by Huddersfield road safety charity Brake.
The charity has published a survey showing that only a quarter of parents say the route between their home and primary school is safe enough for children to walk or cycle unsupervised.
Parents cited high volumes of traffic, lack of safe crossings and lack of safe footpaths or cycle paths as the main reasons for not letting their children walk or cycle to school on their own.
The poll of 1,000 parents with children aged five to 11 also showed that 12% of parents talk on mobile phones or speed while on the school run, while 23% do not stick to 20mph limits around homes, schools or shops.
The Giant Walk, sponsored by shoe company Brantano, involves schools getting their pupils to take part in a supervised crocodile walk on safe pavements or round the school’s grounds.
The charity is also highlighting the fact that 46% of primary school children are driven to school, contributing to congestion, poor health and traffic danger.
Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend warned of a health “crisis” if children didn’t take more exercise.
She added: “Kids love to get out and about on foot and bike and parents want to be able to let them.
“It is a national scandal that danger from fast traffic often prevents children from having the fun, active, healthy childhoods they deserve.”
