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It is an illusion that the “good parent” should drive their kids to soccer games, music lessons, etc. All kids should play sport, but elite sport is not the answer to the physical activity crisis. Only seven per cent of children get enough exercise and most children who play sport regularly still don’t get enough.

What children do need is more self-directed outdoor play in their own neighbourhood. Children who do get this opportunity are much more active, healthier (physically and psychologically) and do better at school. Unfortunately, few children get this opportunity because residential roads are optimized for car use, not children’s play.

It is an illusion that driving to activities is safer than letting kids range free. The No. 1 cause of sudden traumatic death for children is car accidents. (Fifteen children 14 years or younger died in 2013 in Alberta.) Less than one child is abducted by a stranger in all of Canada each year. The greatest single health risk to kids is the sedentary and overscheduled lifestyle that car culture promotes.

It is an illusion that children cannot walk or bike to school by themselves. They need training to get started, but after about Grade 3, most children should be able to walk or bike to a local school on their own. Parental hovering is not required or helpful. Prioritizing children’s safety over driver’s convenience would help.

It is an illusion that better roads will improve the quality of our lives. The more we drive, the more we suffer from poor physical and psychological health and die early. Poor health makes life less enjoyable, adds to health-care costs, and places burdens on family and friends.