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Why teach road safety?

Road traffic fatalities, injuries and trauma constitute a serious global problem, bringing

adverse effects on the quality of life and longevity of South Australians, children and

adolescents especially. This is of significant concern, both in terms of costs to individuals and

the community, and the added burden it places on health services. The South Australian

Government is committed to a 40% reduction in the number of road fatalities and casualtiesby 2010

1. This target presents major challenges for road crash prevention, including a need

to improve road safe behaviours and attitudes of all South Australians, such as througheducation programs in school and pre-school communities.

Research indicates that children under 17 account for about 11% of road fatalities in South

Australia, whilst young adults 1725 years of age account for 19% of road fatalities and havethe highest injury rate of any age. As part of the Governments commitment to reduce the

States road toll and casualties (State Strategic Plan - 2.9), school road safety education and

resources have the potential to provide:

y increased road safety awareness and ultimately safer drivers and riders who willsustain and cause fewer deaths and casualties on the roads

y a lifelong approach to road safe behaviours as drivers, riders, pedestrians andpassengers, starting at an early age, that will change childrens and students

perceptions about road safety and their responsibilities as road users in a range of

situations

y an impetus for cultural change within community groups and the wider communityy opportunities and resources that engage learners in their development of knowledge,

understandings and skills that that will empower them to make informed, safe choices

and decisions as road users.

The effects of road trauma on children and adolescents

Of all road fatalities and serious injuries in the State, 7% involve children 15 and under, and

17% involve 16-20 year olds. In general, 74% of road deaths involve males and 26% involve

females. Fatalities and injuries involve all road user types (pedestrians, cyclists, motor

cyclists, car and vehicle occupants and public transport) with the majority of casualties

relating to car drivers and passengers.

Road fatalities, injuries and trauma have enormous impacts on individuals, families and

communities in terms of health, social, emotional and economic aspects, including:

y physical and psychological impactsy financial problems for affected families or victims when covering medical and legal

costsy costs to the national and state economiesy problems for developing and promoting sustainability.

Indirect effects on community members include:

y fear of road injury, leading to young people and older people not venturing out on theroads

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y fear of allowing children to walk, cycle or catch a bus, leading to parents driving theirchildren to school and extra-curricula activities

y lack of knowledge, skills, understandings and strategies for young people andcommunity members in coping with and managing trauma caused by road accidents

and fatalities

y young people not making responsible safe decisions and choices in relation to peerpressure management.

Common risk factors for road trauma include peer pressure, inexperience, inappropriate

speed, drugs and alcohol, driver fatigue, failure to wear seatbelts, as well as a lack of

understanding and skills for safe road use. Such factors, along with the effects of road trauma

on people, help form the foundation of the content of relevant road safety education

programs.

The effectiveness of school road safety education in general

Worldwide research indicates that school based learning programs and resources are key

elements of an integrated approach to reducing road fatalities, casualties and trauma.

The literature that deals with observed safer behaviour after education, suggests that

programs that have a clear structure, are sustained over a period of time, are assessed and

provide practical skills and understandings may have some positive effects on behaviour and

attitudes, which may translate into fewer crashes.

It is also important to consider guidelines that have been developed to improve the

effectiveness of road safety education programs, with respect to the:

y school context in which the program is taughty content, teaching and learning processesy resourcesy road safety outcomes.

(Delivering RS education provides a link to a curriculum and delivery checklist.)

The attitudes and behaviours crucial to safer driving and road safety need to be fostered in

families, accepted in peer groups and supported by community. The early years of a childs

life are regarded as important in providing a foundation for forming lifelong values, skills,

behaviours and attitudes. However it is important that road safety education is continued

throughout schooling. It is anticipated that engaging students in learning about road safety

education at all levels of schooling will prepare young people more effectively for safe road

use in their communities and also to obtaining Learners Permits and Provisional Licences.

Road safety education in South Australian schools and preschools

It is considered that road safety education at school and in the early childhood years makes an

important contribution to improving behaviours and attitudes on roads. Learning about road

safety is a vital part of student learning in relation to personal safety and the safety of others

in their community. These themes are embedded in current road safety education initiatives

that have been accredited under the South Australian Curriculum, Standards and

Accountability Framework (SACSA). However, considering the variety of agencies involved

in delivering road safety education in SA schools and preschools, it is important to appreciate

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these initiatives in the context of a Health Promoting Schools Frameworkwhich alsocurrently operates in SA.

The development and implementation of a comprehensive road safety education program for

South Australian schools and preschools, supported by key government departments, is a

strategic response to government and community concerns about road and traffic safety, and

is included in the States broad strategy for road safety2. While road safety education may notbe the only solution or intervention to reducing road trauma, learning about road safety is a

vital part of student learning in relation to personal safety and the safety of others in their

community for now and in the future.

1Creating Opportunity: SA Strategic Plan (2004), Government of SA (target 2.9), available at

www.stateplan.sa.gov.au2

The South Australian Road Safety Strategy 2003-2010, (2003) Government of South

Australia

Why is Road Safety Important? Main reasons:

y Road accidents will be with us for a long timey Accident trends are on the rise and issues need to be addressedy Comprehensive road safety programs can reverse accident trendsy Road accidents block economic and social development

Road deaths and injuries are increasing at faster pace in Asia than other regions of theworld. Current World Bank studies indicate that around 50% of hospitalized road victimsin Bangladesh are road accident victims. In 2001, there were about 755,000 road

accidents, killing 106,000 and injuring 546,000 persons in the People's Republic ofChina

(PRC). This translates to one death every five minutes. In Malaysia, about 60% of traffic

fatalities involve motorized 2-wheelers. In India, fatalities among pedestrians is around45%.

Typical losses arising from road accidents include

y material damage to property and vehiclesy lost productivity of those killed or injuredy cost of medical treatmenty administrative costs (insurance, police, courts, etc.)y subjective costs (pain, grief, suffering)y unquantifiable social and community costy poverty