Travelling to school in the dark

[JigglyPuff123]

DC started y7 and has been travelling independently to school. Gets a bus at 7.45 or 7 depending on activities to school, and gets home either 4.30 or 5.30. Ten-minute walk to bus stop along lit but not hugely busy london roads. Am I being mad to let DC walk this by themself? I don’t really have a choice as I have a younger DC at home and I can’t be doing 20-min round trips daily on foot. It’s been fine so far but I’ve just realised this will all be in darkness relatively soon.
Does anyone have any great tips to make DCs feel safer travelling to school in the dark in winter?

Not the first year, they are still too young. I started building up independence on my DD slowly.

There are lots of parents who completely relax in year 6 and 7 and and let them walk on their own everywhere; I admire them but I can't be like them as I think they are still too young. Also, it depends on the area, how busy it is, how close to school.

Other parents feel better by dropping them off and picking them up at a bus stop, train,station or closer to the school.

You are in Zone 2 in London and don't have a local good enough school, so she has to travel 45 mins to the brilliant grammar does she? I am sorry but this is the problem. Change schools if it's such an issue

@WishingYouAMerryChristmasToo

Mine have a mobile phone - always charged. In the dark I have lights - actually brought them for the dogs led clip on lights that flash and they put them their bags and coats. Both coats are black with have large fluorescent triangles on the back of the coat in the Middle of the back - easy to buy as tape off Amazon and then I cut out a triangle and stick it in the middle at the top. All have pin rape alarms they walk with it wrapped around their wristband pull the body off if they want to alarm to go off. Thermal underwear and decent waterproofs and gloves and hats - all go on radiators when they get in for the next morning

I know this sound slike nice advice, but honestly? Any year 7 with reflective tape applied by mum on the back of their coat would be crucified in most schools.

I think there are no easy answers here, most year 7s are fine walking to and from bus stop etc at this time, but I can see why you are worried.

Mine did a dark cycle to the station, but I feel like it is safer on a bike somehow.

Thank you for contributions, they've all been helpful. I just wanted to gauge opinion as I had perhaps naively assumed it would be ok, but then looked it up on Mumsnet and saw previous threads where people had basically said letting your kids out alone on dark streets was neglectful parenting. I have bought a heap of reflective things for backpack and coat thanks to @WishingYouAMerryChristmasToo 's useful advice and have talked again to DC about safety, and will keep on doing so. Pleased to hear the school are covering this over the next few weeks too. I think it's quite right to say traffic accident is probably the more likely danger.
@RedskyThisNight I suppose I wouldn't really be massively worried about my own safety at 7am at a bus stop as I think I'm a bit less gullible (and bigger!) than my 11yo DC. I wouldn't be thrilled about it for myself though to be honest, I'd be feeling on pretty high alert. Sadly I can't do anything about the 7am start once a week as it's not an optional thing -- it's a school mandated early start that day.
DH has to be out the house by 6.30 so not much help but is going to see if he can change this for the once a week 7am start so he can put DC on the bus.

My dd's school was between two huge parks. There was no way around it. The one, infrequent, bus she could get would sail past, already at capacity by the time it reached local stops. The first park wasn't enclosed and had huge trees shielding anyone who was lurking.

I don't drive and had two much younger ones at home. I couldn't always afford taxis so saved them for particularly bad weather days.
I shudder looking back now. (She left school years ago.)