Children who are regularly or mostly driven to school don't have the same relationship with their neighborhoods as those who walk or cycle, writes Brian Byrne.
This is one conclusion from a study in the US which also found that children in neighbourhoods with heavy traffic have a much more negative attitude to the area where they live than do those in areas with light traffic exposure.
Researcher Bruce Appleyard asked 9/10 year-olds to draw maps of their neighborhoods in the different suburban areas. He found that those with what he calls 'a windshield perspective' couldn't accurately draw how streets in their community connected, while the walking or cycling youngsters produced very accurate drawings.
Those in the heavy traffic areas also produced much more 'negative' drawings, highlighted by 'danger' colours and details, whereas the kids who knew their locality showed elements like trees and parks.
Other research includes a poll that showed only 18 percent of US children walk or cycle to school now, compared to 71 percent of their parents.
