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EDUCATION

YOUTH ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION

Developing Guidelines for Road Safety Education

Key Design Elements

Lessons Learned from Child Development Research

Information Sources

Program Development for Parents

Program Development for Educators

Developing Guidelines for Road

Safety Education

It is important that children receive road safety education as part of a

school curriculum.
A formal road safety education in an educational environment outside

of school is also an effective means of road safety training.

Road safety professionals and educators must plan and support road

safety programs and train the educators.

Parental involvement is invaluable to model and reinforce road safety

behavior.
Evaluative tools are necessary to measure effectiveness.

Key Design Elements

Education should be based on practical training in a realistic road

environment such as training in crossing streets, crossing near parked

cars and crossing at intersections.

Training should be regular, frequent and combined with practice.
Training must take into account the educational, cultural, transport and

financial circumstances.
Programs should be multi-modal (didactic, interactive, simulation, real

life).
Teaching methods should be consistent with developmental level of
child.

Lessons Learned from Child

Development Research

Training children to recognize and interpret visual and auditory road

clues is critical. Children struck by vehicles often claim that they "looked"
before crossing the road, but did not "see" the oncoming vehicle that hit
them. As these skills develop, children become more aware of relevant

cues and evaluate traffic situations more efficiently.

Younger children are not yet aware of the concept of danger and must

learn to realize the dangers inherent in the road environment.

A clear improvement in the recognition of how to cope with the dangers
of crossing the street occurs around the age of seven and eight. Children
younger than this should be accompanied by an adult when crossing the

street.
Practical experience is necessary to enable pedestrian skills to develop.
A time lag may exist between experience and skills development.

Information Sources

"Child Development And The Aims Of Road Safety Education: A Review

and Analysis", James A. Thomson, Andrew Tolmie, Hugh C. Foot, Brian

McLaren, Road Safety Research Report No. 1,Dept. of Transport, UK 1996.

"Road Safety Principles And Models: Executive Summary and Policy
Conclusions", OECD.

"Road Safety Education in Schools, GRSP Focus", Global Road Safety

Partnership, www.grsproadsafety.org

Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers should be active participants in developing children's road safety
skills. Parents and caregivers should have a clear understanding of children's
developmental ability as pedestrians and passengers. Safety preparedness programs
are more likely to be effective when parents are involved. Creating a parental role within
road safety education is helpful to the student's internalization of the information and
positive road safety behavior. Parental involvement may also influence parents to
become better role models for road safety (e.g. wearing a seat belt, not speeding,
refraining from reckless driving).

AGES 5 - 9
Young children do not have the necessary skills and experience to be safe in traffic on
their own. Children need supervision when in the road environment. While cultural,
economic and practical conditions may render it unfeasible, ideally, until nine years of
age, children encountering road traffic should be supervised by an adult. Children must
be taught safe traffic behavior and observe positive role models. Strategies:

Teach and model safe traffic behavior.

Ensure that your children are supervised by a responsible adult on the

way to and from school and whenever they are near roads.
Discuss road signs and traffic signals with your children. Help your

children identify safe places to cross streets.

Discuss the rules for crossing with signals.

Reinforce the STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK procedure.

Set a good example by adopting safe pedestrian practices yourself.

The "Walking Bus" is a good way to model safe pedestrian practice for
young children. Children and parents join with others walking to school to
create a walking bus.

AGES 10 - 13

Children begin to cope with traffic independently, but need to be checked regularly.
Ensure that they remember and follow safety procedures. Plan safe walking and cycling
routes together. Strategies:
Encourage children to use controlled crossings and always STOP, LOOK,

LISTEN and THINK.

Help children choose a safe route to school.
Be realistic - if the route they usually follow is the quickest, but not

necessarily the safest, help them identify and minimize the hazards.
Set a good example by observing the rules yourself.
Make sure your children know that there are increased risks to

pedestrians during bad weather and at night. Encourage them to wear

colors that are easily seen by day and by night.

Available Programs and Resources:

Age

Program

Goals

0-80 lbs.

Four Steps for Safety

Child Restraint Systems

0-18 yrs.

Child Passenger Safety Tips

Child safety and parent responsibilities

0-15 yrs.

Assorted Info

Road Safety

0-15 yrs.

Pedestrian, Passenger, Bicycle Info

Online Traffic Safety

All Ages

Diverse

Pedestrian, Passenger, Bicycle Safety

Educators

Goals for Road Safety Education:

Road safety education involves teaching children to be safer road users by developing:
1.

Knowledge and understanding of road traffic

2.

Behavioral skills necessary to survive in traffic

3.

An understanding of their own responsibilities for keeping themselves

safe

4.

Knowledge of the causes and consequences of road crashes

5.
A responsible attitude toward their own safety and the safety of others
Objectives for Road Safety Education:
To understand the skills and strategies necessary to be a safe pedestrian or passenger,
the following skills must be developed:
1.

Detection of the presence of traffic

2.

Visual timing judgment

3.

Coordination of information from different directions

4.

Coordination of perception and action

5.

Cognitive ability to assess the traffic situation

6.

Methods of internalizing traffic negotiation

AGES 5-7
Children are typically given limited responsibility for their own safety. While they should
be accompanied near busy roads, children may need to assume limited responsibility for
their own safety. Children should:

Understand that crashes can lead to getting hurt

Understand how and why vehicles contribute to safety or danger

Be aware of the dangers of not being seen because of stationary

vehicles or other obstructions

Identify safe play areas and learn how to play safely
Understand the importance of being visible in day and night and in all

types of weather
Understand rules governing the behavior of pedestrians and traffic

Recognize and seek people who are present to help cross the road

Understand traffic lights (with or without marked pedestrian crossings)

Use visual and auditory clues to recognize the direction from which
traffic is coming
Stop, look and listen before crossing a street

Choose the shortest distance to cross a street

Use marked pedestrian crossings when available

Proceed with great caution when using pedestrian crosswalks

AGES 8 - 12
Children are often expected to deal with traffic risk by themselves. They should:

Understand traffic lights, road signs, road markings and signals given

by drivers and the police

Be aware of importance of planning safe school routes

Know when and how to summon help in an emergency

Recognize the need to be visible near and in traffic

Recognize the varying speeds at which different vehicles and people

are moving
Be aware of the time involved for vehicles to brake to avoid collision

Understand the effects of adverse weather

Know that traffic rules are not always observed by other road users

Understand which road signs are warnings that must be obeyed and

which provide information

Recognize that alcohol, drugs and fatigue contribute to road crashes

Appreciate the needs of special groups - the very young, the old and

disabled
Set a good example for other children

Understand that stationary vehicles compromise visibility

Identify and recommend to smaller children safe places to play

Understand that domestic and wild animals on roads cause accidents

AGES 13 - 16
Over the age of 12, children in industrializing countries are more likely to be treated as
'mini' adults and should:

Be alert when using public transport alone

Ride a bicycle safely

Know the rules of the road and responsibility to fellow road users

Identify and understand causes of road crashes and how to reduce risks

Be able to judge speeds and distances

Know simple first aid