To think there needs to be a public inquiry into child development

My German number is 2023 - see my link above.

Your figures, unless I am missing something, are off either way though. You can see your maths is wrong in the way you worked out UK and the link you used is not about pedestrian deaths but road fatalities.

Interesting. My figures are 2021. Yours look to be 2018 to 2020. But I'm not sure if it's an average or total of all three years?

31 is road fatalities not pedestrian deaths I think in your first link. I included the link to the pedestrian numbers above.

361 deaths in 67 million population that comes out at 5.3 per million not 54.

Here you go.

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/background/2021-road-safety-statistics-what-behind-figures_en

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-pedestrian-factsheet-2021 361 deaths in 67 million population

No, indeed. Sorry wasn't really weighing in on the walking to school point just the wrong statistics!

But no higher either

So not "much lower" risk in Germany at all.

https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/58883bdc-4312-4665-a424-d5796658e14f_en?filename=ff_pedestrians_20230213.pdf

This has Germany as 5.1 pedestrian deaths per million.

https://www.racfoundation.org/motoring-faqs/safety

This has UK pedestrian deaths at 385 total so that would be.....maths struggle.... about the same as Germany?

I don’t think that’s correct - that seems very high. Are you sure it’s not 5.4 and 3.1? Do you have a source?

It may be road design playing a role - I see a lot online comparing dutch road design which often tries to separated pedestrians, bikes and cars and USA where everyone drives because cars are all that are considered really.

I personally wouldn't be happy with an unaccompanied 5 year old - but then I'm influenced by UK culture and have seen too many kids forgetting and doing dangerous stuff and too many drivers not obeying highway code as a pedestrian.

The really bad one is stopping and waving you across into middle of road with no island and moving traffic other way - got that a lot with young kids with me- then getting upset when you decline as an adult that can be hard to deal with would hate it for a child.

But many of us did it. I certainly did then public transport to school by the age of 7

All pedestrians are at risk of being killed by a car. My point is that the risk in Germany is much lower despite 5 year olds walking to school. Perhaps because they have greater road sense being taught and allowed that responsibility earlier. Or do you think that lots of 5 year olds but way less adults are getting killed/injured. In which case we shouldn't let adults cross the road alone.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-health-needs-assessment/fetal-alcohol-spectrum-disorder-health-needs-assessment

most recently from 2019.
This data shows that:

• 22% of women in England did not drink alcohol in the last 12 months
• 59% of women in England drank at levels within the UK CMOs’ low risk drinking guidelines (that is 14 units or less in the last week)
• 9% drank at an increasing risk level (14 to 35 units)
• 2% drank at a higher risk level (over 35 units)

Nevertheless, 2010 data showed that: 2 in 5 mothers (40%) drank alcohol during pregnancy, which was fewer than in 2005 (54%).

Mothers aged 35 or over (52%), mothers from managerial and professional occupations (51%) and mothers from a White ethnic background (46%) were more likely to drink during pregnancy. Mothers in England (41%) and Wales (39%) were more likely to drink during pregnancy than mothers in Scotland and Northern Ireland (35% in each).

A study in 2017 estimated alcohol consumption during pregnancy in different countries around the world, placing the UK 4th highest (41% drinking during pregnancy).[footnote 3], [footnote 4] The study does recognise significant limitations however, such as relying on people’s memory to record alcohol use, and inconsistent data on drinking patterns. A UK cohort study suggested a higher proportion (79% drinking in the first trimester, declining thereafter).[footnote 5]

Those figures are way higher than I was expecting - as I didn't drink at all in any pg - though we were trying for pg - so did vitamins healthy eating weight etc and do know unplanned pg drinking does occur more but overall there is a decline while some groups like middle class over 35 are still really high.

I have come across other suggestions like ND/SEN being linked to subset of population not as good biologically at purging body of some modern chemicals but that's also controversial and still being researched.

In my family it's genetic it's just modern world making it harder for each generation to cope with.

All children are at risk from being hit by a car if they are walking to school alone at five years old. From serious injury as well as death.

Of course there are cars though cycling is also common and the public transport network is very good so people do use that. But certainly a lot of people drive; Germans love their cars. Electric cars are becoming quite common too but most of them here seem to have the noise that activates below a certain speed.

And I haven't signed it so no, I don't allow him to walk home alone.

To be fair, this is not offered at every Kindergarten. The one he goes to right now is a two minute (adult pace) or about 6 minute toddler pace walk from our front door. There is one road to cross which has a marked crossing (not a zebra but everyone treats it like one) and very little traffic, because the entire small area that we live in is essentially a Q-shaped cul-de-sac with one road in or out, so nobody drives around the Q unless they live here. For many of the houses, they are on the inside of the Q, so you can get to them simply by walking through a park and not crossing any roads at all. I imagine the parents who do sign for their 5yo to leave alone live in one of these houses. They also let them out at about 1 in the afternoon, so no rush hour traffic and good lighting at all times of year. And, as someone else pointed out, when they do walk home at 6yo (which is more usual) they are generally in groups with other children, some of whom will be in the older classes aged 8-10.

In Germany it is a rule that you have to send your child to the most local school unless there is a very good reason to send them somewhere else, so there are very few parents bringing children by car because you don't need to; schools are not mobbed by cars, parents generally walk or bike with children in the first class until Christmas and then traditionally they walk in small groups. In January and February there are signs up reminding drivers to be aware of children and the (ridiculously expensive) school bags you are encouraged to buy all have reflective patches on, governed by some kind of standard. Brightly coloured, reflective coats are also encouraged and children are given free reflective bands, jackets, stickers, dangly things to attach to their bags/coats/bikes etc commonly in the first few weeks of school. There is no rule of black coats only like in the UK.

I don't think Germany has a much worse road safety record than the UK (I know it is slightly worse overall, but very similar especially in comparison to countries like Italy, Greece, Romania) but it is hard to find detailed statistics to compare since the UK left the EU because they tend to be left out of comparisons.

TBH most accidents I hear about seem to involve children aged 12+.

UK pedestrian death rate per million is 54. Germany is 31. Don't have time to find child comparison but it suggests German children aren't at more risk than UK.

We have different expectations of infant and child mortality in this country.

There aren’t many parents that will be content to leave their young children with tarantulas and setting traps that could mean losing limbs. I might be wrong but…..

I agree with this. Obviously it isn't great for children to have to do so much at such a young age. But the fact that they CAN shows that they are more capable than people often give them credit for.
I watched a documentary once on a tribe somewhere. They followed 3 children who were off looking for snacks for themselves. The children were aged around 7, 5 and 3. Together they set traps, caught some tarantulas and made a fire. All while explaining to the cameras how to burn off the hairs on the tarantulas so they could eat them safely. Even the youngest was doing this perfectly.
I've also seen on similar things children aged 3-5 using machetes to help kill and skin animals for food.
Their children are no different to our children. Other than in how they are taught.

It’s bloody ridiculous. The traffic is just as heavy as the U.K. and yet you would let a FIVE year old walk to school! It’s not perfect but British families on the whole take very good care of their children and are engaged and careful. With good reason. A child dying in a RTA is one of the main causes of death in children! Worldwide.

I mean, even if you are a cleaner, you have had the opportunity to go to school for 12 years. You should be able to read and do basic maths. You should be able to comprehend basic written instructions on various cleaning products for example.
I agree that was has gone for non academic children is the chance to learn a skilled trade. I don't know why we are so bad at this. We seem ( as a country) to decide we woukd rather follow America than the Europeans, especially Northern Europeans, like us, have a far superior education system all the way through from child to adult in many ways ( not all obviously)

Why? I mean, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but think about what five year olds are considered capable of doing in other countries. Walking to school is the least of their duties, some are (being made to) working in factories every day, some are cooking entire family meals some adults couldn't do over here, some sew entire garments by hand, some have caring responsibilities. And they are good at it.

And while the responsibilities shouldered upon them in countries where child labour is still a thing is completely unethical, think about that in context when in some Western countries, children are so infantilised. It does German children good to have that independence. Compare, as a whole, what Chinese children are capable of to what British children are considered capable of and you will see a world of difference.

Should we go back to Victorian times of children up chimneys? Absolutely not. But I do believe that the way we hold our children's development back in Britain is one reason why so many of them act out.

I have German friends who are very strict about screen time, their children get 30 mins a day and if they want to watch a longer programme they have to save their time up. But they don’t allow their children to walk alone. They have better maternity and their jobs have to be kept open for 3 years. So many mothers who have children close together might have 5 years or so at home.

Not at five years old. It’s just ridiculous.

The entire culture around that is different.

Children often don't walk alone at age 5; they usually walk with at least one fellow pupil or an older sibling until they know the route well enough.

Children are taught early on how to behave in traffic, and this is reinforced in primary schools all the time.
There are traffic lights everywhere rather than roundabouts.
Jaywalking is illegal (you can get fined by the police) and Germans are very vocal about this, too, if they see anyone attempting this. It is not unusual for the general public to look out for other people's children.
Catchment zones for primary schools are smaller and walkways often much more intuitive.

You even get a safe cycling certificate involving a theory and a practice test by year 3. All children have to participate in the practice for this at school. That way, you learn the rules of traffic quite quickly.

But yes, children are allowed to be far more independent in other countries. Germany is not an exception; Japanese primary age school children do the same and often take public transport alone, too.

You are right about drinking at home in the evenings is much more acceptable now because it’s wine that’s more mainstream popular and it’s for some reason not seen the same as chugging beers and vodka 😂 I’m always amazing watching mums on tik tok who always batter on about it’s wine time and are always drinking like it’s a good thing. Saying that though - I have never drink in all my 30 years I have had maybe 2 alcoholic drinks.
my daughter is very much autistic and those 2 drinks were well before she was a twinkle in my eye !