Road Safety Education in Schools

Prof. P K SikdarPresident

ICT Pvt Ltd, New Delhipksikdar@ictonline.com21-22 May 2011

1st Intl. Conference on Road Safety – Vision 2020MS University, Udaipur

Road Safety Scenario - World

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Injuries - 50 million every year

And still rising…

Deaths - 1.3 million every year

Road Safety Scenario - India

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127,000 deaths every year

10% of global road fatalities

348 deaths per day, equivalent to a jumbo crash everyday – no survivors

15 deaths per hourOne of the top three causes of death for 5-44 yr age group

Road Accidents….. A Disaster

Society carries the burden of death, disability and

despair in more than 100,000 families every year

It costs the nation Rs 75,000 crores every year,

which is 2-3% of GDP

A few Scenes of road crashes

A few Scenes of road crashes

Road Fatalities, by Age group

Age Group No. of Road Fatalities Share

0-14 years 13,185 11%

15-24 years 37,157 31%

25-65 years 58,731 49%

Above 65 years 10,787 9%

Road Fatalities Data of year 2008

• About half of all the victims are in the key wage earning age group (25-65 years)

• Although the victims of < 14 years age group have a share of 11%, this is the first step in the ladder to make them aware of the problems

0-14 years 15-24 years 25-65 years Above 65 years

010,00020,00030,00040,00050,00060,000

Initiatives Required for Road Safety

We need to have definite Initiatives for Road Safety

• Engineering measures & standards

• Public Education/Awareness

• Enhancing Driver skills

• Stricter Enforcement of Laws

• Emergency Services

WHY IN SCHOOLS?

• Children are the future road users• Most effective strategies in developing road safety

awareness • Best developmental ideas can be ingrained• Behavior change can be promoted• Life long benefits to a population at risk• Relieve socio-economic burden on public health

resources and society

Attempt to safeguard children and prepare them as they gradually start making use of the road

WHAT IS ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION• Attitudes and behaviour• Self esteem and valuing others• Valuing safety• Risk management• Rules of the road• Education of road• Decision making• Engineering

Safety to be ensured in the environment surrounding the children at any point of time

Road Safety Education in Schools

• To understand the traffic environment and how to function in it

• To develop independence with due responsibility

• To know how to use road safely• To develop self-esteem and valuing

others’ rights on the road• Recognize the features of the roads in

the local area

Road Safety Education in Schools

• To recognize and understand that the children need

to play in safe places

• To know where to stop, look all around and listen

before crossing a road

• To know the safest route to school

• To understand the use and principles of Zebra

Crossing

FRAMEWORK FOR RS EDUCATION

3. ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL & PSYCHOLOGICAL

MEASURES2. INFORM ABOUT TRAFFIC

ENVIRONMENT & SAFETY

1. BEGIN AT SCHOOL

4. EVALUATE & ASSESS

WHO NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED?

INSTITUTIONS

CHILDREN & PARENTS

SPONSORS

GOVERNMENT/POLICE

ROAD SAFETY

OFFICERS

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

KEY ELEMENTS• A coordinating body, giving responsibility for

developing and monitoring the plan• A long term implementation plan• Well informed champion to animate the program• Program for psychological development of

children • Monitoring and evaluation

CURRENT SCENARIO OF ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION IN SCHOOL

Road Safety Education in School• Wide variety of road safety education in school

curriculum • Some are a bit elaborate, while others are very

elementary• No structured and uniform road safety education

curriculum in the country• NCERT text books do not have any road safety content• CBSE curriculum had some road safety and traffic

related lessons before the recent changes (3 years back) but it doesn’t contain it now

Road Safety School Curriculum• In Class I to V there are some road and traffic related

materials included in elementary way• Recent addition in curriculum of CBSE on ‘Disaster

Management’ has a small portion called Traffic Accident in elementary way

• A few states like Maharashtra attempted to develop school curriculum on road safety, but these are sporadic efforts without continuity of purpose and implementation

• All state boards have similar lessons (elementary details of road and traffic) in the primary section

Road Safety School Curriculum, Andhra Pradesh

• Course materials on Road Safety and traffic education included in ‘Social Sciences’ by Directorate of School Education, Govt. of AP (2009)

1. Class VI: Road – Safety Education– Pledge of Road Safety– Classification of Roads– Division of Roads– Designing roads at junction

2. Class VII: Traffic Education– Prevention of Road Accidents– Parts of a Road– Pattern of Roads and Marking on Roads– Some traffic slogans and some Traffic Offences

Road Safety School Curriculum, Andhra Pradesh

3. Class VIII: Traffic Education– Road Safety Pledge– Electronic Signals

4. Class IX: Traffic Education – Manual Signals• Nine Hand Signals• Railway Level Crossings

5. Class X: Traffic Education• Safety Measures• Use of Bicycles on Roads• Use of Motor Cycles and Scooters on the Roads

Structured Road Safety Curriculum

• On pursuance of IRF India, the GoI has appointed an

Expert Committee under chairmanship of CBSE

• The Committee is making structured Road Safety

Curriculum for different age group of children in

different classes

• The Curriculum is going to be enforced for uniform

adoption across all the state boards

PROPOSAL• As it is seen, the coverage in the primary section

(class I to V of NCERT books) and also in CBSE on Disaster Management are grossly inadequate and prepared without consideration of the learning ability of the age groups

• There is a need that a consistent curriculum structure for class I to class X be prepared keeping in mind the learning abilities of children of different age groups and the complexity of lessons

Structured Road Safety CurriculumCONTENTS OF RSE AT DIFFERENT LEVELS1. Age group 0 – 4• Too young, should be taught only very basic elements• Recognize road are dangerous and play in safe place• Walk only on footpath• Recognize that road is for traffic

2. Age group 5 – 7 • Knowledge of various elements like road, footpath, zebra crossing• Know different vehicles on the road• Understand direction of traffic by sight and sound• Use of marked pedestrian crossing• How to go to school and come back from school safely• That accidents can lead to injury and death• Understand meaning of traffic lights• Responsibility on road, even to others

3. Age group 8 – 12• Understanding traffic light, signs, road markings • Safe place to play – away from the road• Concept of differing speeds by observing traffic• Learn when and how to deal with traffic risk• Help smaller children on road for crossing or other safety aspects

4. Age group 12 – 16+ (considered as mini-adults)• Understand road signs, markings and signals• Safety in public transport• Riding bicycle on the road• Understand the problem of alcohol, drugs and fatigue in relation to

road accident

Structured Road Safety Curriculum

Road Safety Education Campaign by IRF India

• IRF has initiated school visits by Road Safety Experts to develop the safety consciousness amongst school children and adoption of safe road user behavior through lectures, computer games, competitions, and actual demonstrations

ROAD SAFETY AWARENESS / PUBLIC EDUCATION

Awareness Campaign for GQ• Upgraded highways (under NHDP) are carrying

high speed traffic • Immediate hazard is posed to the communities

living and growing alongside these highways• These communities are to be made aware of this

fact• Their behaviour needs change to suit the new

physical environment, to save them from risks• NHAI launched a Public Education Campaign for

the Golden Quadrilateral

Campaign & Training Material• Campaign Material (in 5

languages),– Booklets– Posters– Banners– Audio Cassette– Video Films

• Training Material, – Power Point Presentations

for Training of Awareness Raisers and Key Awareness Raisers

• Demonstration events

Stages of Campaign Delivery

Cycle 1Campaign Delivery & Workshops for Training of ARs in Schools

Cycle 2Monitoring of KARs / ARs activitiesReview of KARs/ARs

Cycle 3Evaluation of Road Safety Campaign

4 Months 6 Months 6 Months

Monitoring & Evaluation

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%

Pre-campaign Post-campaign

EXAMPLES OF ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

RSE IN COMBODIA SCHOOL• In 2007, an educational consultancy company from New

Zealand was funded by NZAID to a develop a road safety education programme for the Combodian Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS)

• Educating NZ worked with HIB and local stakeholders to develop a RSE programme for Grades 7-9

• Initial outcome was a matrix of learning outcome identifying what students at those levels should know.

• Developed a teaching handbook designed to achieve the above learning outcomes and a resource book containing attractive engaging material

RSE IN COMBODIA SCHOOL

Benefits• Experience shows that receiving road safety education as a

part of formal school curriculum from the earliest stage is one of the most effective strategies towards awareness and behavioral change, reducing in the number of accidents in the long term

• To date, more than 800 primary schools are implementing the Grade 1-6 RS curriculum, in 24 provinces

• Over seven lakhs students benefited• Over 5,000 school directors/teachers, provinces/district

education representatives received RSE curriculum trainings

RSE IN COMBODIA SCHOOL• Future plans of expanding Grade 7-9 curriculum

to all 24 provinces.• A curriculum will also be developed for upper

secondary school funded by ADB and AusAid, under the management of the National Road Safety Committee and Ministry of Education and with technical support from Educating New Zealand and Handicap International Belgium

RSE IN MALAYSIAN SCHOOLS• Identified best programs and initiatives from around the

world• Identify the problem facing children and young people on

the roads• Explored the preferred pedagogy in classrooms & students

activities• Collaborated with the Ministry of Education about the

intended program & implementation• Road Safety Education in schools was commenced in 2007. • In 2010 every primary school aged child received a

minimum of 8 lessons.

RSE in Viet Nam Schools• TRL, UK and ICT Pvt Ltd were engaged in

revamping the already developed school curriculum

• Project involved detailed testing and verification of adoptability in identified schools

• It also included training the school teachers to establish the capacity building required in teachers to deliver the curriculum

PASSPORT FOR LIFE

Put forward by Bedford Borough Council Road Safety1. STRATEGY• Recognizing the need and demand for structured road

safety education • Stressing the need for clear responsible road safety

objectives2. VISION• Reduce number of casualties on the road and to make

commitment to the safety for all3. OBJECTIVES• Passport for life provides an overall policy objective and

contain road safety measures for encouraging RS education

PASSPORT FOR LIFE4. POLICY5. RESPONSIBILITY OF SCHOOL6. LOOK AT THE CURRICULUM

RESULTS AIMED• Reduce all traffic accident casualties by 40% and children

casualties by 50% by 2010• Promote, support and encourage a coordinated approach

to road safety in all schools for all academic years• Concerned with both the present and future

In Conclusion• Road safety education in school is truly a passport

for life• A structured road safety education in schools is

capable of developing a road safety culture in future generation

• The rights and responsibilities of each road user is to be ingrained in the young minds

• This is required to be uniform across the country• Targeted action plan with mechanism for

monitoring and evaluation

ROAD SAFETYIS NO ACCIDENT

THANK YOU

Building Road Safety Culture