Danish Council Urges Parents to Let Kids Bike to School

The Danish Road Safety Council released new advice for parents. The new school term starts soon. The council asks parents not to drive their kids to school. Morning car drop-offs cause heavy traffic jams around school zones. Driving also creates dangerous spots for children near school gates. Instead, parents should teach children to walk or cycle to school alone.

• Organization: Danish Road Safety Council (Rådet for Sikker Trafik)
• Main advice: Avoid driving kids to school; encourage walking or cycling
• Goal: Reduce morning congestion and increase safety around school zones
• Preparation: Practice the route with children before the term starts
• Safety requirements: Use a helmet, working bike lights, and reflectors
• Local resource: Municipalities provide safe school route maps (sikker skolevej)

In Copenhagen, cycling is a daily habit for most families. Local schools strongly encourage children to travel on their own. Most main roads in Copenhagen have wide, protected bike paths. The city design makes cycling safer than driving in school areas. Teaching kids to bike early fits standard Danish parenting culture. It helps children build confidence and learn traffic rules early.

Foreign parents in Copenhagen should prepare their children step by step. Start by riding the school route together during weekends. Make sure your child wears a fitted helmet. Teach them proper hand signals for turning and stopping. Check that the bike has working lights and reflectors. Copenhagen municipalities offer maps of safe school routes online.