IMPROVING ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION (RSE) IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: INDIA

This report describes the results of a study into developing a road safety education resource for primary school children in Pune India. Particular attention was paid to ensuring that the safety education courses and materials were designed to meet the ages of the children being instructed, the culture in which the children are educated and traffic environment in which they live. Special training was given to the teachers using the trial materials and the importance of road safety education as a continuous and sustainable educational subject was impressed on senior administrators and curriculum development authorities. The teaching resource (Produced in both English and Marathti) was designed to increase the children’s observational skills and their knowlege and understanding of traffic. It concentrated on teaching children to be able to recognise the dangers of traffic, behave safely as pedestrians and knowing what they needed to do to keep themselves and others safe when using roads. Evaluation of the resource showed that there was a marked increase in children’s road safety awareness and knowledge, and that resource was both effective and enjoyable to use. At an end of project workshop, senior education administrators, police, important safety decision makers and practitioners, expressed their support for continuing the programme and emphasised the need for future development research and the funding to help with disseminating the developed materials.