Introduction
Road safety is a major concern in India. In line with SDG targets 3.6 and 11.2, CEE is promoting the adoption of safer mobility systems and specific measures to make roads safer. These efforts include reviewing relevant policies, legislations, and institutional systems, submitting suggestions to strengthen them, and undertaking on-ground efforts to improve road safety. CEE collaborates with government institutions at national, state, district, and local levels, as well as with communities, colleges, and schools.
Children and adolescents are especially vulnerable as road users. CEE advocates for strengthening policy and legislation and creating robust institutional systems to promote road safety. CEE also works with schools and local governments to facilitate the implementation of safe school zones, build the capacity of school management, enhance understanding among parents and the community on the Safe Systems approach, and catalyze local innovations for road safety.
Projects and Initiatives
In Jorhat, Assam, the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) had launched the “Safer Roads for Safer Childhood” (SRSC) initiative in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) and the Department of Home and Political Affairs, Government of Assam, represented by the Jorhat Police in the year 2018 and committed for 5 years. This project, supported by the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and funded by the Botnar Foundation, aims to address the urgent public health issue of road safety for school-going children. The project conducts situational assessments and develops safety plans for six selected schools, aiming to reduce injuries and create safer commuting environments for children.
The SRSC project began with a comprehensive analysis of road networks, school characteristics, and crash data around the selected schools. Engaging various stakeholders, including traffic police, the local municipality, and school authorities, the project identified six schools in high-risk areas: Jorhat High Madrassa School, National Telegraph Girls High School, Lakshmi Union High School, Balya Bawan High School, Royal Oak High School, and Jorhat Model Composite School. CEE initiated awareness campaigns targeting students from classes 6 to 8, training teachers to educate students on road safety challenges, laws, and preventive measures. Innovative tools like road safety quizzes, posters, expressive wall paintings, and interactive games like Road Safety Ludo were used to engage students and reinforce safety messages.
CEE also developed customized School Road Safety (SRS) plans, providing road safety kits with barricades, safety jackets, and traffic signs to the schools. Improvements were made at two vulnerable junctions in Jorhat city, enhancing safety for students of nearby schools. These interventions have had a significant improvement, fostering behavioural changes among students through group discussions, skits, and debates on road safety topics. The SRSC project not only promotes immediate safety measures but also ensures the sustainability of these efforts through continued education and community engagement, aiming to create safer roads for a safer childhood in Jorhat.
Outputs and Downloads:
The "Child and Adolescent Road Safety" project in Pune District, running from September 2023 to March 2024, was a collaborative effort involving UNICEF Maharashtra, RISE Infinity Foundation, and several local government agencies. The project addressed the high incidence of road crashes involving children, aiming to create safer environments around schools and on routes to schools. The project objectives included stakeholder engagement, safety assessments, development of training modules and IEC materials, and demonstration of safety measures in three schools. The overarching goal was to draft an action plan and policy brief to institutionalize child road safety in Pune.
Key activities and achievements of the project included a visioning workshop that established a vision for child road safety in Pune, based on national targets. The project assessed current safety conditions, developed a comprehensive training module for local government representatives, and conducted training workshops for various stakeholders. IEC materials were created to educate adults responsible for child safety. Demonstrations of safety measures were carried out at three schools, involving orientation of school transport committee members, participatory road safety audits, tactical urbanism, installation of safety signages, and first aid training for teachers and staff. The project culminated in drafting a detailed action plan and policy brief to guide future efforts.
The project highlighted the urgent need for scientific road safety audits, speed management in school zones, and the implementation of safe walking, crossing, and cycling infrastructure. It emphasized the role of schools in engaging the community and institutional stakeholders in child road safety. The learnings from the project underscored the necessity for adults to ensure children's safety on roads and the importance of orienting decision-makers to the "Safe Systems approach." Moving forward, clear policy articulation, phased implementation proposals, engagement of multiple stakeholders, and strengthening institutional systems were identified as essential elements for achieving road safety targets for children in Pune.
Outputs and Downloads:
A special edition of CEE’s SDG Handprints Lab focused on child road safety was conducted in 2024 for students of the Master’s in Urban Design at PVP College of Architecture, Pune. Students studied road safety aspects at the three demonstration schools and the application of safe systems for improving school zones. They conducted interactions with students and parents and studied the safety needs in the school zones.
As part of the National Road Safety Week, the Centre for Environment Education and its Planet Discovery Centre, in partnership with The Urban Lab, held a special session on Road Safety called "Challan for Change." The session was conducted by Ms. Neha Pathak, our proud parent partner, and her team.
This interactive session engaged children in learning about traffic rules and citizen behaviors through an exciting quiz and activities. Children participated enthusiastically, taking on the role of "SuperCops" to promote better road safety behaviour. As SuperCops, they are now empowered to issue "challans" to anyone who doesn’t follow the rules!
Throughout Road Safety Week, these young SuperCops observed their family members, neighbors, and friends for compliance with traffic rules. They issued challans for infractions such as not wearing helmets and, most frequently, for talking on the phone while driving. This module brought the concept of awareness full circle to action, embodying the #Handprint action for Road Safety to protect children, who are among the most vulnerable road users.
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CEE made submissions to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for strengthening the legislation through amendments to the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 (MVA) regarding road safety, especially for helmets, seat belts, speed, drink and drive, and child restraint systems (CRS). The Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 (MVAA) strengthens the provisions related to these behavioral risk factors for effective implementation by the states. It also submitted suggestions on formulating sub-legislations or rules for establishing a National Road Safety Board (NRSB), electronic enforcement of road safety rules, fixing responsibility for road infrastructure design and construction, and addressing risk factors related to wearing helmets and seat belts.
CEE conducted consultations with parents, teachers, caregivers, representatives of businesses and child care product designers, NGOs, and road safety experts on children’s safety on two-wheelers. Based on these consultations, it submitted recommendations on draft provisions for safety standards for children on motorized two-wheelers, including the requirement for children to wear their own helmet, under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 (CMVR).
CEE also submitted a letter to MoRTH with recommendations for strengthening legislation on child restraint systems (CRS) to clarify ambiguities in Section 194B of the MVA regarding the use of seat belts or child restraint systems for the safety of children in four-wheelers. Evidence indicates that the correct use of CRS can improve child safety in four-wheelers by 70 to 95 percent.
Based on the learnings from the project on child and adolescent road safety in Pune district, CEE made a submission to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra requesting that all schools within 500 meters of national and state highways be declared high-risk zones. The purpose is to prioritize these schools for improving road safety, allocate financial resources, conduct scientific road safety audits of these school zones, and expedite the implementation of audit recommendations.
CEE organized an orientation program on research and policy gaps in road safety for children with the Transport Research and Injury Prevention Center (TRIPC) at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, in May 2023. This event brought together members of the Road Safety Network (RSN) India, NGOs, civil society groups, road safety advocates, experts, and key institutions and stakeholders. The discussion covered several aspects of child road safety, including the use and effectiveness of helmets for children, child restraint systems, infrastructure and safety in school zones, and safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and school transport vehicles. The program also addressed the standards and availability of child helmets and CRS in India. Additionally, discussions highlighted data discrepancies between reports from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), the lack of specific regional (state and district/city) and risk factor data (helmet and CRS), and the need for age-disaggregated data specific to different child age groups. Given the broad age range of 0 to 18 years, the discussions emphasized the importance of targeted legal and safety provisions for children. The need for multi-ministerial programs and policies on child road safety in India was underscored, with a recommendation to target child road safety measures at adults to ensure children's safety, rather than focusing solely on the children themselves.
CEE organized a National Dialogue on Road Safety for Children, featuring panel discussions on the Safety of Children as Road Users and the Safety of Children as Vehicle Occupants. The dialogue targeted key policymakers, stakeholders, and institutions from both central and state governments. The National Dialogue on Road Safety for Children was held in September 2022, at New Delhi.
The first panel discussed the safety of children as vulnerable road users, emphasizing the need for safer infrastructure, safe school zones, and safer school transportation vehicles. The second panel focused on the use of child helmets and child restraint systems, identifying gaps in current policies, legislation, and standards. Case examples from India (Delhi and Jorhat), the Philippines, and Vietnam were presented, highlighting efforts on safer school zones, child helmets, and CRS. The dialogue was organized in collaboration with Synergie under the Road Safety Network (RSN) India, with support from the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP).
Download:
Handout on an analysis of legislation in India with child road safety perspective, Sept 2022
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