Banning Cars In School Zones - UK Encourages Kids To Walk (GALLERY)

A new UK law might bar parents from driving onto to campus to drop their little ones off for school. The policy is meant to encourage kids to walk a little more, with the hope that encouraging even a little bit of exercise might help with the growing childhood obesity epidemic. 10 years of walking an extra 30 minutes by foot a week could save 28 lbs of excess fat, increasing the likelihood that they will be healthier in their adult years.

The Institute for European Environmental Policy did several studies and found that 81% of households in the UK have at least one car; in the ‘70s, only 59% of homes had vehicles. Autoblog noted that “Parents are averaging an additional 27 miles per year carting their kids to school than they did back in 1982, and Brits of all ages average 20 less miles per year walking than in the 70s.”

Not only will implementing a policy like this help kids slim down, but it will also help save the environment. Saving miles also saves a lot of unnecessary emissions going into our atmosphere.

Parents should set a good example and start walking a little more themselves. By walking only half an hour a day (to the train, walking the kids to school), the average parent would be save themselves about 50 lbs on their own waistline in their child’s first decade of school.