Safety education of pedestrians for injury prevention: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials

Abstract

Objectives To quantify the effectiveness of safety education of pedestrians. Design Systematic review of randomised controlled trials of safety education programmes for pedestrians of all ages. Main outcome measures Effect of safety education on pedestrians' injuries, behaviour, attitude, and knowledge and on pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. Quality of trials: methods of randomisation; and numbers lost to follow up Results We identified 15 randomised controlled trials of safety education programmes for pedestrians. Fourteen trials targeted children, and one targeted institutionalised adults. None assessed the effect of safety education on the occurrence of pedestrian injury, but six trials assessed its effect on behaviour. The effect of pedestrian education on behaviour varied considerably across studies and outcomes. Conclusions Pedestrian safety education can change observed road crossing behaviour, but whether this reduces the risk of pedestrian injury in road traffic crashes is unknown. There is a lack of good evidence of effectiveness of safety education for adult pedestrians, specially elderly people. None of the trials was conducted in low or middle income countries.

O pediatra e a segurança no trânsito

“…1 Pedestrian-oriented educational measures may change pedestrians behavior when crossing the street, but it is still unknown whether they effectively reduce the risks of motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions. 1 Motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions may occur even under optimal lighting conditions, dry lanes and streets and good weather, but in zones densely populated with children, who lack knowledge and maturity to cross the streets, these accidents are very common; therefore, emphasis should be placed on providing children with a safe place where they can play and be supervised, and only be allowed to cross the streets if they have learned the technique properly. 23,24 Training should begin in preschool, indicating the appropriate and safer places for crossing the street, 24 always considering the childs attention development and highlighting its importance throughout school years.…”

“…8 Accidents involving a motor vehicle and a child are usually caused by under-forty-year-old male drivers. 18,19 The factors related to a higher risk of motor vehiclepedestrian collisions are: 1,8,17,18 boys, ages 3 to 12 years, number of streets a child has to cross, midblock crossings, daylight hours, school hours, houses without a backyard or recreation area, strong association with alcohol consumption, underprivileged social classes, and unemployment.…”

“…22 Among the strategies for prevention of traumas in children and adolescents as pedestrians are educational strategies, street environment changes and other measures, such as organization of school hours. 1,3,4,8,15,17,18 Educational strategies should focus on the pedestrians training and skills and should be related to a larger knowledge about the dangers of traffic, in additional to the behavioral changes imposed by this situation. 1 Pedestrian-oriented educational measures may change pedestrians behavior when crossing the street, but it is still unknown whether they effectively reduce the risks of motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions.…”

“…1,3,4,8,15,17,18 Educational strategies should focus on the pedestrians training and skills and should be related to a larger knowledge about the dangers of traffic, in additional to the behavioral changes imposed by this situation. 1 Pedestrian-oriented educational measures may change pedestrians behavior when crossing the street, but it is still unknown whether they effectively reduce the risks of motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions. 1 Motor vehicle-pedestrian collisions may occur even under optimal lighting conditions, dry lanes and streets and good weather, but in zones densely populated with children, who lack knowledge and maturity to cross the streets, these accidents are very common; therefore, emphasis should be placed on providing children with a safe place where they can play and be supervised, and only be allowed to cross the streets if they have learned the technique properly.…”

Use of conspicuity aids by cyclists and risk of crashes involving other road users: Population based case-control study

“…A hospital-based study of cycling collisions suggested that trained cyclists were three times less likely to be injured whilst cycling than untrained ones 70 . There is evidence that training aimed at increasing pedestrian safety may raise children's level of knowledge of safety issues but this knowledge is subject to decay 131 and actual traffic injury rates were not examined.…”