Then spare a thought for poor Archie Kirkwood.
His dad made him wear a high-visibility jacket and crawled along behind him in his ancient Ford Fiesta.
For good measure, David Kirkwood stuck a massive sign on his roof warning other motorists (and tittering schoolfriends): 'Thank you for sharing the road. Archie is walking to school and back.'
Safety first: Archie walks to school with his father in tow during the protest over a lack of a pavement
But it backfired when police turned up and told him he was putting other road users at risk.
The officers warned he would be arrested if he tried it again before giving Archie, 11, a lift to East Hanningfield Primary School, near Chelmsford, Essex.
'The highways are there for us all and it is not a pre-condition of our residence along this lane, or anyone wherever they live, that they should have to own a car and drive,' said Mr Kirkwood who lives with wife Fiona, 44, a part-time chiropodist and their children Angus, 16, Archie and Isobel, three.
'I have been told "You can't expect to walk along this road, it is a dangerous road" but I find that incompatible with the idea that the roads are for everyone.
'It is a disgrace. The road is a like a race track sometimes.'
Archie's route to school from the family home in East Hanningfield is 1.25 miles and takes around 20 minutes to walk.
His father admitted writing to Essex Police to explain what he was doing before setting out on the unusual school run.
The force revealed Mr Kirkwood had not faced arrest for embarrassing a minor, although such a move would certainly enhance their image among children.
A spokesman said: 'He informed us of his intent to follow his son along the road in his car.
Archie's father makes sure to thank patient motorists stuck behind his slow-moving car
'Police advised him against this course of action for safety reasons. We attended and spoke to the man and took the decision to take the boy to school for his own safety.'Officers have advised him that he is at risk of causing an unlawful or wilful obstruction should he continue to do this.'
Mr Kirkwood said he first complained to Essex County Council three years ago that the country road was not safe to walk along and wanted changes, such as a dedicated walkers' and cyclists' lane.
'Everyone has a right to use the road, cyclists, pedestrians, cars, it's about equal access to all,' he said.
'If my son wants to walk to school, or if my wife wants to walk into the village, they cannot because it's not safe.
'It's not an exaggeration to say you would be killed walking around at certain times.'
Mr Kirkwood said vehicles regularly thunder along the country lane at speeds well in excess of 60mph.
Archie, a Year Six pupil, is normally dropped off at school by his mother or father.
His father added: 'Archie wants to want to school and he should walk to school. It's only one and a quarter miles. I used to walk to school.'
Mr Kirkwood said he wrote to the police and county council to inform them about this unusual protest and two police officers visited his home to warn he could be arrested for obstructing traffic.
Undeterred, he and Archie set out on Monday morning but two police officers stopped him and a passing police dog handler gave the schoolboy a lift.
Despite the warning, he admitted following his son home after school and insisted he would continue his battle with Essex County Council to right the 'disgusting social inequality' that people living by 'dangerous' country roads should be forced to use a car.
A county council spokesman said: 'Parents are required to get their child to primary school where they live less than two miles away for children up to the age of eight and three miles over that age.
'Where a parent feels the route is not reasonably safe the county council will carry out an assessment.
Where it is deemed there is no safe way then alternative school transport will be provided.
'No such application for an assessment has been received in this case.'