The Safe Routes to School (‘RideScore Active Schools’) program enables our children and young people to scoot and ride a bike to school more often and makes our communities safer, healthier places for everyone.

We Ride Australia and the Sunshine Coast Council, supported by the Australian Government, Queensland Government, Stockland and Deakin and Canberra Universities, have partnered for an Australian-first program of its type – RideScore Active Schools.

RideScore uses technology to automatically message parents when their children have arrived safely at school and again when they leave to come home. Incentives at key milestones keep the students highly engaged, parents have the confidence to let their children ride to school and dangerous car traffic around schools is reduced.

With an evaluation due to be published in 2023, WeRide is seeking funding to broaden the reach of RideScore to more schools and explore expansion beyond Queensland. Find out more at www.weride.org.au/saferoutestoschool.

The Australian first program uses:

• Smart beacons to alert parents automatically when their child arrives at school
• Advanced use of mapping to identify safe routes to school
• App-based information and registration technology
• Bicycle education, and
• Encouragement awards for students who ride and scoot to school.

RideScore boosts the numbers of children scooting and riding to school. It provides parents with peace of mind about the whereabouts of their children for the daily trip to school and saves an hour or more daily by avoiding the necessity to drive children to and from school. It provides information on recommended routes and motivates and encourages children to reach milestones in the number of times they ride to school.

Fun characters engage students in bike education and road safety.

The Australian Government supported the initiative with an investment of $224,558 as part of its national Move It AUS – Participation Grant Program.

The RideScore Active Schools program also received significant ongoing support, additional funding and management support from the Sunshine Coast Council and its active transport team. 

The Queensland Government and Stockland provided financial backing for the trial and the University of Canberra and Deakin University have partnered with us to undertake the data analysis and evaluation of the program outcomes.

After the launch event held in 2019 at the Baringa Public School with Principal Noel Baggs welcoming parents, students, Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson, federal Member for Fairfax Ted O’Brien MP, Sunshine Coast Councillors and other VIPs the RideScore program hibernated for another two years during COVID before being able to run for a full year in 2022.

The program successfully trialled a comprehensive framework that includes mapping of the safe routes to school, fitting of smart tech beacons and school sensors, bicycle education and a system of rewards for students who reach pre-determined numbers of trips to school by bike or scooter. A leaderboard kept them all highly motivated and engaged.

Features & benefits:

• Real-time messaging tells parents when child arrives and leaves school
• Trips counted to track milestones and provide incentives to students
• Simplified app-based registration and information management for parents
• Maps of the local safe routes to school for all students
• Bicycle skills class for students
• Annual program including special events and rewards
• Increase in student physical activity
• Improved road safety awareness
• Reduction in traffic congestion around schools.

To view the media release from the launch on Thursday 21st November 2019, please read the news update here - www.weride.org.au/announcement/smart-approach-to-boost-riding-to-school-on-the-sunshine-coast.

Visit the RideScore website here - www.ridescore.org.au.

The RideScore Active Schools Program was supported by the Australian Government and managed by Sport Australia, in partnership with We Ride Australia, the Sunshine Coast Council, the Queensland Government, Stockland, the University of Canberra and Deakin University.