Chauffeured to class: As few as two out of every 10 kids now walk or ride to school – and experts say parents are the reason why
Most children are now driven to school every day – and experts say parents are the reason ‘it’s only taken one generation for Aussies to stop walking or riding to school’.
Up to eight in 10 primary school students are now driven to school, prompting calls for an extension of 40km/hr zones in a bid to boost the numbers of those walking or riding.
Busy lifestyles, over-scheduled children and traffic concerns mean fewer than one-third of government students now get to school on foot or by bike, new University of Sydney figures show.
And just 12 per cent of private students walk or ride to school, with many facing much longer commutes.
Analysis of 6517 children across the country shows the cohort most likely to travel by car to school are private primary students, with 80 per cent driven in Queensland, 75 per cent in South Australia and Victoria and 67 per cent in New South Wales.
Nationally, 62 per cent of public primary school children across all states are also driven.
Even more independent older children are often driven. The data, collected in May 2025, show 57 per cent of those in private secondary schools across the country get to school by car, compared to 42 per cent of their state school peers.
Nationally, around 3 per cent of primary students and 16 per cent of high school students take public transport. School buses are taken by 6 per cent of primary students and 12 per cent of high school students.
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Lead author Jennifer Kent said one reason for the high rate of children being driven was that parents “are so much busier than we used to be”.
“I understand. I am a mum who occasionally drives my kids 300m to school,” she said.
Dr Kent said students doing extra-curricular activities also play a part “because they often have to be picked up as they need to go straight to swimming class from school”.
“Many parents are both working and so more kids are in after school care and have to be picked up as it’s too late to drive,” she said.
She said the reason many private school parents drove their children was the longer distance between their homes and the schools.
“There’s also the safety issues. People are not as concerned about stranger danger but they are worried about traffic safety. They’re more concerned their children will be hit by a car so they drive them, which means there are more cars,” Dr Kent said.
She said only 6 per cent of children lived in the 200m zones around schools with lower speeds, and an extension of the slower zones could give more children a chance to walk or ride.
Most states have 40km/hr zones around schools on side streets and main roads for up to 200m around campuses.
Bicycle Network CEO Alison McCormack said the rate of active travel had plunged since the 1970s, when at least 90 per cent of students thought nothing of walking to school each day.
“It’s only taken one generation for us to stop walking or riding to school,” she said.
“Many children live in riding or walking distance but still travel by car, contributing to the congestion around schools.”
Ms McCormack said slower school zones should be extended to two to three kilometres around campuses to allow students a safer active commute. “There are so many cars and parents say they feel it is unsafe for them to walk or ride because of it. Children often want active travel and it’s parents who don’t allow it.”
A spokeswoman for the National Catholic Education Commission said the commute to and from school “is a decision made based on a range of factors – the age of the child, the location of the school, proximity to home and work, availability of public transport and the needs of the child themselves”.
Dianne Giblin, CEO, Australian Council of State School Organisations, said parents “make the best decisions they can with the options available to them. For many families, driving isn’t just about convenience; it’s also about safety, distance, and balancing work and family life”.
“We’d all love to see more children able to walk, ride or take public transport, but that depends on good infrastructure and safe routes to school. When those supports are in place, families can make more sustainable choices without compromising safety or practicality.”
RAA senior traffic engineer Matt Vertudaches said it was “important that school zones are set up on a case-by-case basis to ensure any location-specific risks are managed.
“School zones are typically used where there is a high concentration of schoolchildren near or crossing the road. It is important that driver compliance is high in these zones, which is more likely when children are visibly present,” he said.
“School zones that are too long and extend to areas where children are less likely to be, may potentially lead to reduced compliance in the areas where it is most needed.”
Tina Fulfaro, a mother-of-four from Camberwell in Melbourne’s inner east, walks every day with daughters Angie, 10, Daniella, 9, and Izzy, 6.
“It’s much easier than driving and it only takes 10 minutes most days,” she said.
“Otherwise the traffic is crazy and there’s nowhere to park. Unless it’s torrential rain I don’t drive them at all.”
“We love it, it’s a nice time to catch up,” Ms Fulfaro said.
She said she and her husband both drove their oldest daughter to a nearby Catholic girls’ school.
New South Wales
In NSW, the students most likely to be driven attend private primary schools, with 67 per cent travelling to school by car. This compares to 46 per cent of private high school students, 52 per cent of public primary school students and 30 per cent of those attending public high schools.
The largest group of students getting to school by bike or on foot attend public primary schools (35 per cent) followed by public secondary students (33 per cent). Only 14 per cent of private primary students and 10 per cent of private secondary students ride or walk to school. Public transport usage in NSW sits at 23 per cent for both private and public secondary students and between eight and 19 per cent of students take a school bus.
Victoria
In Victoria, the students most likely to be driven attend private primary schools, with 75 per cent getting to school by car. This compares to 64 per cent of public primary students, 55 per cent of private high school students and 40 per cent of public high school students who are driven to school.
The largest group of students getting to school by bike or on foot attend public secondary schools (33 per cent) followed by public primary students (29 per cent). Only 15 per cent of private primary students and 13 per cent of private secondary students ride or walk to school. Public transport usage in Victoria sits at 16 per cent for private high school students, 14 per cent for public high school students and around 2 per cent for primary students. Between three and 14 per cent of students take a school bus.
Queensland
In Queensland, the students most likely to be driven attend private primary schools, with 80 per cent travelling to school by car. This compares to 68 per cent of public primary students, 60 per cent of private high schools and 41 per cent of public high schools who are driven to school.
The largest group of students getting to school by bike or on foot attend public secondary schools (32 per cent) followed by public primary students (24 per cent). Only 15 per cent of private secondary students and 9 per cent of private primary students ride or walk to school. Public transport usage in Queensland sits at 13 per cent for public high school students, 11 per cent for private high school students and around 2 per cent for primary students. Between five and 13 per cent of students take a school bus.
South Australia
In SA, the students most likely to be driven attend public primary schools, with 75 per cent travelling to school by car. This compares to 73 per cent of private primary students, 66 per cent of private high schools and 54 per cent of public high schools who are driven to school.
The largest group of students getting to school by bike or on foot attend public secondary schools (27 per cent) followed by public primary students (22 per cent). Only 15 per cent of private secondary students and 15 per cent of private primary students ride or walk to school. Public transport usage in SA sits at 10 per cent for public high school students, 8 per cent for private high school students and around 2 per cent for primary students. Between two and 9 per cent of students take a school bus.
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Originally published as Chauffeured to class: As few as two out of every 10 kids now walk or ride to school – and experts say parents are the reason why
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