Leg it, says car insurer

Based on information from 300 motor insurance policyholders with children, the survey showed:

36 percent of children walk and 10 percent cycle to school.

35 percent go by car, 15 percent by public transport and 4 percent go on transport provided by their school.

Soemthing that can arrest the decline in cycle use is safe routes to school, as popularised by Sustrans. Such concepts are looked upon favourably by parents, says the MasterQuote survey, 70 percent of whom were in favour of speed limits outside schools being reduced to 20mph.

One in five of the cars on the road in urban areas during the school drop-off time is a car on a school-only run.

"As a nation we have become too reliant on motorised transport and can be accused of forgetting we have legs at times," said MasterQuote managing director Sandy Dunn.