New toolkit to combat risk of road traffic injury to children on school journeys

A toolkit that aims to combat road traffic injuries, the leading global killer among older school-age children and adolescents, has been launched at the World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion in Bangkok.

The toolkit, part of the Child Health Initiative (CHI), was developed by the FIA Foundation and The George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with CHI partners. It provides step-by-step guidance for protecting children on their journeys to and from school, based on evidence from around the world.

‘Millions of children globally face the risk of road traffic injuries on their way to and from school every day, but there are simple, affordable solutions that can be put in place to reduce these risks,’ said Dr Margie Peden, head of the global injuries programme at The George Institute for Global Health.

‘We have evidence on what works from around the world, and this toolkit provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to implement some of these best practices.’

The global toolkit explains how to deploy low-cost, ‘safe system’ interventions proven to prevent road traffic injury and provides public authorities, NGOs, international agencies and others with guidance on how to overcome challenges. It covers each stage of the process, from collecting data on risk for children to building strong coalitions and ensuring interventions are sustainable.

• Download the Global Toolkit ‘Solutions for Safe and Healthy Journeys to School’ from the CHI website.

‘The school journey is the point of the day at which children are often most vulnerable,’ said Dr Peden. ‘To make their environment safer, and to effect real change in communities and cities, the journey to school should be a key focus.’