To think 8/9 year olds shouldn’t be doing this

No one would be fine if their child got hit by a car. What kind of question is that?

As you've said, statistically, it is going to be fine most of the time. That isn't risky at all.

I'm not sure police would charge a family with negligence just because it happened to be winter and dark by 4pm.

I would not be fine if something happened, same as I wouldn't be fine if something happened to my children at any point in their lives. I also wouldn't be fine if I restricted their lives because of my own worries. Sometimes I have to put my worries aside and let them do things that scare me because it's good for them, and they get joy out of them. I was very anxious this summer when my 13 year old travelled across the country by various public transport methods with her friend, but her sense of accomplishment and pride in herself for managing it and having a good time with her friend was worth it.
On the flip side, sometimes we need to listen to our gut instead. The problem is trying to figure out whether it's a gut issue or an anxiety issue.

Statistically this would be fine most of the time. Kids are, on the whole, very capable.

But how fine would you be if something were to happen?

I think the scenario you are portraying is a risky one and does not really translate to the realities here in the UK.

It is a risk most parents would not take and quite frankly, I think the police would take a dim view of any parent allowing a child out in the dark by themselves and would probably be prosecuted for negligence or more if that child came to harm.

Not everywhere though. Depends on where you live. I should image the traffic in London in the 80/90s was worse than a sleepy village is now

Speed limit hasn't changed in at least 50 years either And cars have better brakes etc

It says walking up a big hill with a busy road known to speeders, that's not enough information really, no mention of whether the road needs crossing, if there's a good footpath. It could be perfectly fine or it could be a dangerous route.

Read the OP, does it sound safe to you?

If the road is actually dangerous to walk along the pavement next to it, then yes that's not safe (or if there's no pavement and its a fast road). But if its a safe pavement just next to a busy road and they don't need to cross, then what's the problem? So long as the child can be trusted not to wander off into the road, chasing after a dropped ball for instance.

Traffic has changed, more cars, faster cars, and as the OP stated, it's a busy road where people speed.

I also said that kids of this age should be allowed to play out with friends, but certainly not walking alone on roads where speeding traffic is zooming past.
There are also school sports and clubs, many places and times where young kids can have fun and exercise.

Totally irrelevant then. Nothing to do with an 8 year old going to the park. I don't know if any 14/5 that has to be accompanied everywhere and thousands of secondary school kids get on buses every day to go to school

Do we? I definitely don't have anxious children, if I said it was OK, they would be happy to hitchhike all the way to Hong Kong and they would most likely be fine to navigate that journey. But I just don't trust that there would be no one that would want to do them harm on the way. Ehen they are adults, hopefully I would have taught them enough to deal with situations that come up. I don't see how getting a bus or walking around in the dark actually delivers any practical help with that.

And this is why we have 16 yos unable to catch a bus by themselves because they are too anxious.

Well by 18 they can drive themselves places. Personally, I try to avoid all public transport as an adult. I have no idea why you would deliberately put your child in an environment where unstable people are out to cause trouble. My feiend was raped on a train coming home from school when we were ten, I have also been sexually assualted on the tube. My nephew was punched in the face on a bus recently. Maybe becuase of my personal experiences I have certain views, but my childten eon't be going to the park alone and certainly not getting buses alone. When they are a bit older and young adults I won't be able to stop them but they will know the dangers and how best to avoid them.

And most of them involve young adult victims, so exactly what age are you going to let your child out? 25?

How is it beneficial to a child's safety to stop them getting on a bus at 14, just in case they get stabbed, and then at 18 they can do what they like and will have no experience whatsoever of public transport?

No I'm not. Where I am its very normal for children to go to the park or walk places by themselves from 7 or so, and, once I got used to it (as from England originally, so quite the culture shock), I realised children can do things like this just fine, and they enjoy it. This evening, when it was already full dark, my DS's 6 year old friend walked round from the next road by himself. No pavements either, walked on the road, with a torch and reflectors to be visible to cars, and came round to play without any issues.

In the city I live in there are some adventure playgrounds that operate "open access" for children aged 8 or older, meaning they are free to attend by themselves. Not all do, as younger children can attend with adult supervision so sometimes it's sibling groups who will have a parent with them, and other times parents still want to supervise. But some 8yo children will get themselves to the playground, that is considered a reasonable cut-off for when staff insist on a responsible adult accompanying them.

This sounds brilliant and I would absolutely encourage it

You are probably aware that you will never stop worrying about your child. It might be hard to imagine now, while your LO is under 10, that you will have similar anxiety when they are 16, 18 etc. When you get there, the fears you have then will be just as real and relevant as the ones you have now. A lot of people are saying that allowing your son this independence is appropriate at his age. None of us have exactly the information you have to risk asses the exact situation but in principle I would agree that this is an appropriate age to allow your son this independence. When I first allowed my eldest this kind of independence I helped us both by doing it gradually. Others have mentioned some of the stuff you should do to prepare your child. You've got road safety and stranger danger addressed. Can your child use his watch appropriately and return home on time? Would he know what to do if he got to the playing field and none of his friends were there? Can you start this new phase by walking some of the way with him at first? Making his playing out time fairly short and knowing what time to be home (and fulfilling it). You can grow his confidence and yours at the same time. But also do try to let him know that you are confident in his ability to make a success of this. That will build his trust in you, as well, and will increase the chances of taking a responsible attitude to his new independence. Of course we all have a duty to take steps to protect our children but we also have to take measured and appropriate risks to allow them to mature and gain skills.

@ItsProperlyColdOut

This was really normal in the 80s before we knew about stranger danger.

We knew about it in the 60s. Did we forget for a bit?

And, even knowing, nine-year-olds went ten minutes up the road to the park.

The two children stabbed to death on a bus in two separate incidents in broad daylight on bus routes that go into my town were 14 and 15. I don't think the fact that they were not 8 is any less reason not to allow my children to get on the buses alone. Both incidents did make national news. Kids are carrying machettis here daily. Thereare around 15 thousand knife offences each year in london alone.

Statically, boys are far less likely to be abducted by a stranger. So, you have that going for you.

You’re not in the UK are you Natsku?

I find it odd that people fret about "busy roads" - they often seem to be talking about inner city roads with steadyish traffic 20-35mph and lots of crossings.

It's quieter roads with occasional faster traffic and poor visibility that I'd really worry about a lapse of judgement.

8 year olds stabbed on the bus? Surprised that didn't make national news

But we can’t wrap them in cotton wool forever at some point they are going to have to go out into the world and it should be a gradual process of following their lead and what they feel comfortable with.

and then they will feel capable of making their own decisions - for example DD asked permission to go to Reading Festical this summer after her GCSEs - I felt it was too much but I also knew saying no would immediately push her into it. We talked it through she did some research and decided against it