An exploration into the levels of automobile usage and independent mobility for children in Belgium

Independent mobility, where children travel without adult supervision, fosters neighborhood familiarity, security, pride, and connection. Given the noted benefits, both mentally and physically, of allowing children and adolescents to travel and recreate through independent physical activity, it is important to recognize the disparities found in rates of independent mobility. This study examines patterns of independent and accompanied travel among Belgian children (aged 6–17) across varying urbanization levels, using national travel surveys from 2010 and 2017 analyzed via generalized linear models. The results of this analysis show that independent mobility is significantly higher in the most urbanized areas and lowest in the rural regions. The data show that females are less likely to make independent trips regardless of the level of urbanization and that both males and females increase independent travel as they get older. Interestingly, despite a decrease in automobile travel for all teenagers, males still have a significantly higher share of independent travel, suggesting that even as female youth shift to active travel, they are chaperoned at higher rates than their male counterparts. The results suggests that opportunities for autonomy and neighborhood security, through independent travel, in childhood neighborhoods are unequally distributed by gender and location.