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Abstract
'Safe Routes to School' (SRTS) is a road safety program focused on travel to and from school. In this study, an examination of the implementation of SRTS in Australia has been undertaken by comparing and contrasting state-based SRTS initiatives. There are differences in the approach taken to SRTS implementation in different states. In some cases there is no explicit SRTS program in operation, and in others the programs are quite mature or are undergoing refinement/re-orientation after initial trials. The most mature programs are operating in Western Australia and Victoria, with the South Australian program, which is heavily based on the Victorian model, gathering momentum. New South Wales is unique for its commitment to run the program at all primary schools in the state, and for the exclusion of engineering treatments as an explicit component of the program. Differences exist in relation to the refinement of program objectives: the balance between engineering, education, enforcement and encouragement dimensions of the programs; the manner in which schools are selected; the extent to which program delivery is undertaken by consultants and the extent to which maintenance issues are considered in the program.
Refereed Paper
This paper has been critically reviewed by at least two recognised experts in the field.
INTRODUCTION
Children and young people have a high involvement in road crashes, particularly when they are walking or riding a bicycle. Victorian data highlights that the number of accidents involving child pedestrians and cyclists tends to increase with age, with cycling accidents outnumbering pedestrian accidents above about 9 years of age (Vic Roads 1999). Between 1990 and 1996, primary and secondary school-age children accounted for about 30% of pedestrian accidents in Victoria (MacKenzie 1999). For the 4-12 year-old age group in Victoria, about 65% of pedestrian accidents occur immediately before or after school (7:30-9 a.m. and 3-5 p.m.), while for the 13-18 yearold group, the comparable figure is 49 % (MacKenzie 1999). It is not surprising therefore that road safety initiatives have been developed to target school travel, in an effort to reduce children's involvement in road accidents.
'Safe Routes to School'(SRTS) is a road safety program focused on travel to and from school. Vic Roads established SRTS as a local, community-based program, which aimed to...