Kids on scooters during school run 😒

[Heyjude16]

It drives me insane. Small path to school and they come zooming so fast up behind you that if you don't move you get smacked at the back of your legs, and then none of them say please or thank you or excuse me. Drives me insane! 😒

The thing is, it isn't scooters per se. It is the rules - or lack of them - that children on scooters follow, and that is ultimately down to their parents.

When DD and DS were small, we lived rurally, at the far end of the village from pre-school and school (about 3/4 of a mile each way). I wanted my DCs to be healthy and active, and to get out of pushchairs as soon as possible. So they scootered from an early age - 2.5 - 3 as far as I remember. There were very strict rules about what they could and could not do in terms of pavements, road etc, and it meant that even when I did 4x return journeys every day (and they did 3 each) due to them being at different pre-school sessions, we never used the car and could manage a '1 back before lunch, 1 delivered after lunch' in the hour available, something that wouldn't have been possible if simply walking. Far quicker than walking, far healthier than a car, and meant that we ditched the pushchair for both of them shortly after the age of 2.

I rarely hear a parent/carer say 'watch out for that lady/small child/dog...' Or 'dont'. 'Tis the way of the world I'm afraid. But then I've noticed that adults often barge past DS (who is 11), shove him out of the way or try to walk through him.

Thing is, I don't see much evidence of these 'rules' being enforced. Or these amazing polite children who scoot around you ever so carefully with a cheery 'thank you!' I'm sure they exist.... just not at the two lovely primary schools I walk past en route to work in lovely suburban zone 3.

Just this morning two boys came zooming past at breakneck speed and I had to move to accolade them. The mum didn't even look up.

*accomodate

Original,

If you had been near me when my DCs were small, you would definitely have heard the 'watch out' and 'don't'. Or rather, you might have heard absolutely nothing on days when DC were obeying the rules, and a massive roar if they didn't.... Our basic maxim for child-rearing was sensible freedom surrounded by absolute rules: yes, you can scooter freely along the pavement as long as you treat other users politely and stop when the pavement ends for me to catch up. If you fail to stop for a pedestrian or carry on at the end of the pavement, then the Wrath of God will descend on you. It has always worked better for us than continual ineffective nagging and guidance.

A lot depends on the area surrounding your child's school. We are lucky in that we have lovely wide pavements (new town) and paths to school that are away from roads. Lots of children use scooters and bikes and there has never been an issue.

I am sure that accidents with scooters happen, but accidents with cars tend to be more deadly. I would rather a child went to school on a scooter than went by car.

As soupdragon said, the problem is lack of manners or lack of scooter etiquette.

Don't worry. Scooters will banned and they can all go in a buggy. Or maybe a car.

Is there a scooter proficiency test (or whatever the current term is) as there is for bikes?

I know some schools offer safe scooter courses as they do for bikes - it was one of the things that Sustrans officers did - though i know their funding has been cut in many areas. It covered manners, control, wearing protective equipment etc.

Something like this:

www.buckscc.gov.uk/media/137659/STP_Scooter_Skills_Levels.pdf can easily be run in school for schools where there might be a problem with scooter etiquette, followed by issuing of 'scooter licences' or similar.

unfortunately by the time they get to school its too late, too many toddlers allowed to scoot in very busy places.

Then encourage local pre-schools and nurseries to run similar schemes, with appropriate literature given out to parents.

I do think it would be a real shame if a valid means of non-motorised transport, which encourages children to be active, has to be banned. The presence of so many cars around many schools has already meant that cycling to school or as an older child's main means of transport to e.g. after school clubs or sport has significantly declined since I was a child.

Parenting is a matter of opinon. The idea of scooter licenses or restricting who is allowed to scooter on age is the nanny state gone mad. Making children wear loads of protective equipment will put them off scootering.

There is a major obesity problem in the UK. Anything that encourages exercise is good. Children walking to school is good for both parent and child health.

Could a school not cover scooter safety in an assembly if it is an issue for a particular school. Why does it require someone from subtrans to deliver a presentation. Most schools use email and could email links to parents on scooter safety if there is an issue.

I also would always make DC wear a helmet, though not knee pads etc, though ideally all of it. They can go very fast.

Sorry, ReallyTired, I wasn't clear - the materials are out there, many originally prepared by Sustrans, and a school can easily deliver it themselves. I wasn't suggesting that a Sustrans officer was needed - although sometimes it can have more effect if an external person does deliver the training (we have external speakers in for Internet safety, for example).

The only reason for scooter licenses might be to provide a consequence for children who repeatedly scooter unsafely or cause danger to others (though the PCSO who came in after one of our pupils was reported for nearly causing a traffic accident was VERY effective as well) once the message has been delivered to everyone.

Certainly, the way forward is to encourage non-motorised transport to school for all, and to provide training and advice as to how this can be achieved safely, not to ban a popular transport method that keeps children active and reduces car and pushchair use.

Personally, I believe every scooter user, like every bike user, should wear a helmet once they are capable of going faster than walking pace (though tbh mine wore helmets from the first time they went on a scooter, as always associating helmets as a natural part of scooter use is easier than introducing it at an older age). Scraped knees, the odd broken arm etc isn't likely to be fatal. A head injury more so, so in my book it was worth reducing the risk, with the useful side effect that my children have always associated 'being on wheels' with 'helmet wearing' so naturally wear bike helmets too. I know that for adults rising on the road, helmet use can encourage drivers to drive closer to a helmet-wearing cyclist than they would an unprotected one, but for children with softer skulls, the balance of risks seems to me to be on the side of helmet wearing.

"Certainly, the way forward is to encourage non-motorised transport to school for all, and to provide training and advice as to how this can be achieved safely, not to ban a popular transport method that keeps children active and reduces car and pushchair use."

I 100% agree. The problem with scooter licences is that some schools would take the view that a child cannot scooter to school until they have a licence. They would refuse to issue a scooter licence to a nursery child on the basis that they are three year old. Sometimes teachers will impose their parenting ideas on parents. ie. saying a child is not safe to walk to school by themselves until year 6.

I agree that parental and child education is the way forward.

Tbh, the biggest problem on my school run is not the children on their scooters, it's the lazy parents who can't possibly walk their children to school. It's just under a mile to school and we walk pretty much every day. We walk past so many parents putting their children in the car on our way. By the time they have got in, strapped up, battled through the traffic, parked and walked the child to the gate they get there at a similar time to us. I will then walk past them getting out of the car as they get back home. They park inconsideratly, blocking drives, bumping up pavements, opening car doors without checking if anyone is coming (someone did this to me while I was walking the other day and nearly sent me flying).
I'm a childminder and My children are taught to move out of the way of pedestrians coming the other way, not to crash into other people, go in straight lines so they don't knock into each other, to get off and walk if there are too many people about and to stop at certain points for me to catch up. So yes, in my experience, yabu.

Forget the school run, at least they are outside. Keep seeing them scootering in tesco

My boys scoot to school. They go around people and only cross the road with me. Sometimes they go too fast, but are generally well behaved. They are getting fresh air and exercise, we play eye spy and chat. When we arrive outside the school, they are pushed where it is very busy.
Excessive cars and bad parking is a far worse problem around school. My boys never scoot in shops, that's just ridiculous!

I don't have a problem with children on scooters on the school run. What I DO have a problem with is ignorant parents that cannot be bothered to teach their children that it is,at best,ill-mannered and at worst dangerous,to fly along at top-speed and ram someone in the back of the legs. I am registered disabled due to quite bad arthritis in many parts of my body,and walk very slowly with a walking stick. I sometimes pick my 9 year old DGD up from school,and frankly,I dread it. I have lost count of the number of times I have had near-misses with kids on scooters. It makes me feel vulnerable and unsafe as I know it will only be a matter if time before an 'incident'. Then,of course,I will be told by an irate parent that it was MY fault for being in the way. Maybe I am showing my age here,but when my DD was young,I wouldn't have dreamt of letting her tear along the pavement when it was busy,narrowly avoiding hitting people. Let's just I blame the parents! I am all in favour of children being active and getting some exercise on the way to school,rather than being driven by car or getting the bus. But I just wish their parents,who really should know better,exercise a bit of control and authority.

Yes they are a pain. And Heelys boil my piss too especially when worn in supermarkets.

I'm so glad I don't have children...

I always think " they look fun, must get dd some next time she needs trainers" whenever I see kids on Heelys.

Does anyone remember a thread on here a couple of years ago where a chid on a scooter, obviously not in control, ploughed into an elderly person, causing a broken hip and a lengthy hospital stay? The tragedy of it was that the elderly person was carer for her spouse who had to go into residential care. The parent of the child was apparently indifferent & abusive when taxed with her responsibility, I seem to recall. I always wondered what happened to the elderly woman - and I also remember the awful ageism on the thread ...