There are vast differences in the amount of road safety education given to children across Europe, particularly at secondary school level, according to a new report.
Published as part of the LEARN! project which aims to promote traffic safety and mobility education across Europe, the report shows that while road safety education is provided to children in primary education all over Europe, it is not given to youngsters in secondary education in a fifth of the 36 European states and regions studied.
The report also reveals that traffic safety and mobility education is only sparsely addressed in secondary education in most of the states and regions where it is given.
Most states and regions do not have a legal minimum requirement for the amount of road safety education that should be given at secondary school. Only half of states and regions that do offer it set educational goals for what should be taught.
Traffic mortality increases sharply after 13 years of age, as children start to travel independently. It is unknown how effective current road safety education practices are at reducing deaths and injuries due to a lack of wide-ranging studies on the issue.
The report has been written in collaboration with more than 30 road safety education experts from across Europe. It was published at a launch event in Madrid for a new platform on traffic education in Europe coordinated by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), the Flemish Foundation for Traffic Knowledge (VSV) and Fundación MAPFRE.
