So agree Greatnan- I wish my grand-children could come and live here instead of suburban Surrey where life is as you describe! Here kids are expected to walk to school alone (with friends) from a very young age- as developing independence and responsibility is very much part of early education. It is causing endless problems with expats who just cannot cope with the concept.
Reminds me of a ski trip I took a few years ago. One of the older ski instructors, who had been a teacher all her life here (in Switzerland) one day asked if she could have a word with me. She just couldn't fathom how so many of our kids were so overweight, and so many had no natural balance at all, no strength, no 'ooomph' at all, and just sat there and cried if they fell over, and refused to even try to get up by themselves. I explained they lived in a city suburb and were all taken to school by car and dropped at the gate, that PE lessons were few, that they did little sport with the families, the constant fear of peodophilia , etc. She was a really lovely lady and she said 'this is just so sad and tragic, don't the parents realise they are killing the kids with over-protection- in a natural disaster, none of those kids would survive, would they?'.
Often heard around here 'mum, we're off to the woods' 'OK have you got some water and a snack, and your pen knife' 'yes, mum, back around 6, bye'. They go off on their own to the local ski slope or swimming pool, football pitch, cycling or walking, or to each other's homes - accidents to happen of course, usually minor and accepted as part of life's training.