The danger came from themselves
(I found this comment on the subject of walking to school.)
At one school my daughter walked to, traffic was a big issue. Most affluent parents who lived within walking distance of the school drove their kids to school. Some drove the kids just a few blocks. When I asked why their kids didn't walk they said "Too Dangerous, too many cars." Well the cars were from parents driving their kids to the school. The street had few cars at 8am during school breaks. All kids more than a mile from school got bussed. If all driving parents at that school participated and walked with their children to school on one day, it might open their eyes to the fact that the danger came from themselves. The parents might think they are doing their children a favor but my daughter liked walking to school until she became a teenager. When she grew up she confided to me that when she was getting bussed to school she and her friend would deliberately miss the bus so they could walk. Walking wasn't a burden for her it was an adventure.