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KIDS Did you know poor air quality can seriously affect your health? Children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of poor air quality. Emissions from personal automobile use contribute to a large portion of air pollution. Simply put, the more we drive, the more air pollution we create, and the more we threaten the lives and health of our children. Did you know? - Children breathe in more air and breathe faster than adults
- Their smaller lungs create a higher surface area to volume ratio meaning they directly absorb more pollutants
- Children tend to breathe through their mouth bypassing the natural filtering system of the nose
- Children's lungs are still developing well into their teenage years.
- Children ten to have increased levels of physical activity and spend much more time outdoors
What to do? Getting rid of the household car is not an option for most of us, but anyone can reduce his or her vehicle use. With a reasonable goal of reducing one in five single-occupancy vehicle trips, try the following: Carpool! Know a neighbour going to the same hockey practice as you are? Does your co-worker live in the same neighbourhood? Share a ride and share transportation costs, driving responsibilities and company! Get active! Walk or ride. Peterborough is a beautiful city chock with old neighbourhoods and beautiful, big trees! Take in some of our local landscape by walking, wheeling, roller-blading or cycling to work or school. It will add energy to your day and get you to where you want to go! Ride the bus! Save money and leave the driving to someone else! Peterborough has an affordable transit system that will get you to most areas of the city. Combine trips! With thoughtful planning you can save time and avoid engine wear by combining your errands into one trip. Reduce stress and fuel costs by going in off-peak hours!
SAFE WALKING AND BIKING TIPS FOR KIDS AND THEIR FAMILIES Safe Kids Canada has some excellent tips on teaching children about traffic safety.
SAFE KIDS CANADA'S Pedestrian Safety Tips for Kids Teach your children the "5 Steps to Safely Crossing the Street." - Stop.
- Look both ways.
- Listen for traffic.
- Wait until street is clear and all traffic has stopped.
- Make eye contact with drivers to be sure they see you.
- Beware of intersections without lights. Children should be extra alert when crossing at a corner with no traffic lights.
- Know the stopping zones. Children should stop at driveways, alleys and areas without curbs. They should never run out onto the street.
- Under nine? Don't cross alone. Children under age nine should be accompanied by an adult or an older child when crossing the street.
- Help drivers see you better. Teach children to wear reflective or colourful clothing to be more visible to drivers.
- To cross or not to cross. Children should recognize pedestrian crossing signals but not rely on them. Remind them to make sure traffic has stopped and to make eye contact with drivers before crossing. They should be taught to respect the role of the crossing guard and to understand his/her signals. Important: Remind them to continue across if the light changes to "Don't Walk" while they are in the crosswalk.
- Sidewalks are safest. Teach children to always walk on the sidewalk. In areas without sidewalks, teach them to walk as far away from traffic as they can and to walk facing approaching traffic.
- Stay away from parked cars. Teach children about the dangers of crossing the street between parked cars or when not at a corner. Children should cross only at corners or pedestrian crosswalks.
- Railway crossings are deadly. Teach kids that the only way to cross at a railway is to use the designated crossings. Playing games at railway crossings or around trains can be deadly.
- based on information from Safe Kids Canada, 2004
ACTIVE AND SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PETERBOROUGH Active and Safe Routes to School â Peterborough (A.S.R.T.S.P) is a partnership of schools, community organizations, principals and parents dedicated to promoting safe, physically active and earth-friendly transportation to and from school. Why Active and Safe Routes to School? Automobiles are having an impact on our children. With vehicle ownership and use steadily increasing, the result is congested roads, sedentary citizens and increased air pollution. Children feel this impact most severely. With more cars on the road, parents fears of traffic danger and personal safety have increased, leading them to drive their children to school. Many school zones have become traffic nightmares. The inactivity of being a passenger in a car has replaced the walking and biking activity that has helped previous generations of children maintain good health. According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, two-thirds of Canadian children and youth are not currently active enough to lay a solid foundation for future health and well-being. As many as 20% of Canada's youth are considered overweight - obesity has increased by more than 50% in children aged 6-11 in the past 15 years. Air pollution triggers asthma attacks. Researchers now believe that it can cause the disease, one of the most prevalent respiratory illnesses in North America. Asthma is now the number one cause of school absenteeism in Canada and the number one reason children are admitted to emergency departments. There has been a four-fold increase in the illness in the last 20 years! Vehicle exhaust is the leading cause of air pollution. Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) encourages healthy, active lifestyles through supporting the direct involvement of school communities in solving their traffic and safety problems. ASRTSP encourages children to use active transportation to school whenever possible. For students who are bused, ASRTSP promotes regular bus ridership (means fewer car trips to school!), active transportation to and from the bus stop and access to quality activity programs at school. Issues Addressed by A.S.R.T.S.P. - Traffic Safety
- Children's Health
- Physical Activity
- Air Quality and Climate Change
- Community Awareness and Familiarity
Activities Supported by A.S.R.T.S.P. - International Walk to School Day
- Cross Canada Walking Challenge
- Walking School Bus
- School Zone Anti-Idling Projects
- Curriculum Activities for K â 8
- Neighbourhood Mapping
For more information on how to get involved please contact Peterborough Green-Up or the Peterborough County-City Health Unit, 743-1000. Active and Safe Routes to School Peterborough partners include:
INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY On October 5, 20053, schools from Peterborough City and County joined millions of children, from almost 30 countries around the globe, for International Walk to School Day (IWALK) festivities! An event was held at Prince of Wales Public School in the morning to congratulate all those students who walked to school! Click Here to see some pictures of the events that took place in Peterborough! International Walk to School Day is an annual event designed to encourage physical activity, safer communities, and environmental health. Once again, Peterborough City and County schools signed up in droves to celebrate the day. The goal of International Walk to School Day is to establish an enthusiasm for active forms of transportation in children so that they maintain healthy habits as they grow. Active and Safe Routes to School Peterborough is so happy to engage children in this area to particpate! CROSS CANADA WALKING CHALLENGE How many children can say they've walked across Canada? Students in Peterborough City and County are doing just that by participating in theCross-Canada Walking Challenge! For the second year in a row, kids in our community have committed to the big trek by clocking in the kilometres over the school year. Starting on International Walk to School Day in October until Clean Air Day in June, schools are holding Walking Wednesdays, schoolyard walks, and tallying to-and-from-school walking habits to meet the challenge! Along the way, they are promoting physical activity, traffic safety, environmental awareness and of course, a strong understanding of the regions and cultures of Canada !! ASRTSP is distributing monthly kits to the 9 participating schools!! These kits provide fun treats to engage students in walking activities!! North Shore Public School kicked off this year's walk with a Hallowe'en themed march around the schoolyard!
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