A host of young Wangaratta Primary School students braved a chilly Friday morning to link arms with local police to mark National Walk to School Day.

Some 50 students, parents and staff of the Chisholm Street school and five Wangaratta police officers gathered at Merriwa Park on 22 May in the name of being active and staying safe.

Before the walk students brushed up on the ever-important SLLT (stop, look, listen, think) when crossing busy roads with youth resource officer Senior Constable Hayley McDonald.

The group then took off from the park, up the stairs and down Murphy Street, crossing the road at Reid Street before marching through the school’s front gates, all while gaining vital pedestrian safety tips from police.

It proved a perfect warm-up for the school’s joint cross-country and athletics day.

The annual nationwide event encourages children and families to be active while helping teach safe road behaviours.

To keep children safe travelling to and from school, drivers and road users are urged to:

• Slow down to 40km/h in school zones and be aware of crossings.

• Watch out for pedestrians and be alert as young children can be unpredictable and difficult to see – particularly behind vehicles or driveways and intersections.

• Always use designated drop off and pick up areas around schools.

• Park safely and legally, even if it means walking further to the school gate, and

• Give cyclists at least one metre of space and 1.5 metres on roads above 60km/h.