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FLEET FORUM • Road Safety Education in Schools • India Pilot Project Report to Shell 1

Executive Summary

Road traffic injuries are the single biggest source of fatality among children aged 10 to 24 worldwide. Awareness of traffic and road safety practices is literally a matter of life and death for children.

From January to March 2013, a pilot project funded by Shell India Markets Private Limited and conducted by Fleet Forum brought road safety education to 604 level 6 and 7 students in four schools in Bangalore, Chennai, and Surat. The pilot project took place over seven weeks, and in 8 to 10 hours of instruction tested specially designed materials and approaches—formal presentations, multimedia, workbooks, role-playing, case studies, and practical learning methodologies— to help children better understand the issues within traffic and road safety and the active role they can play in their own wellbeing and safety.

As a result of this pilot programme, these children gained an understanding of the importance of road safety awareness, as well as a sense of responsibility for spreading the message to their peers and family. There can be a high degree of confidence in scaling up the program for delivery to many more children in additional communities across India.

Rationale

Worldwide the number of people killed annually in road crashes is estimated at 1.3 million, along with 50 million injured; around 260,000 children are killed with about one million permanently disabled. Children account for up to 40% of all road fatalities in middle- and low-income countries, and road-related trauma is the greatest cause of injury and death for children 5 to 19 years of age.

India accounts for almost 10% of the global road death figures. According to the Global Status Report on Road Safety, 133,938 people lost their lives on Indian roads in 2010. The same report assumes that there is most likely underreporting in the case of India, and WHO estimates that the actual figure is around 231,000 victims.

Road Safety Education in Schools

Snapshot of India road traffic

Walkathon by the students of Gopalan National School


Children and young people are among the main victims. Road traffic injuries are the single biggest source of fatality in the 10- to 24-year-old age group, worldwide.

As awful as these statistics are, fatal accidents represent a fraction of the heartbreak. Research using community-based surveys in Asia found that for children below age 15, beyond each road fatality there are many casualties: four children who suffer permanent disabilities and 250 more who must go to hospital for treatment.

Shell has made road safety a primary focus. Shell has stated: “Safety is Shell’s number one priority. Road safety in particular represents Shell’s main safety concern. According to statistics, many fatalities in the world are associated with poor driving habits and bad behaviours on the roads.” The Road Safety Education in Schools project capitalised on Shell’s proven record and fit well with Shell’s history of supporting road safety initiatives, providing a practical demonstration of a significant aspect of its corporate responsibility.

The motivating questions behind the road safety education projects were: “How can we help children become road safe—able to use roads wisely and well? How can we teach children to harness the power of roads to their best advantage, without becoming victims in the process?”

Fleet Forum’s primary goals for child road safety are to increase road awareness and proper use among children, to bring road safety ideas into the community, and to assist in the implementation of programmes and practices that will challenge the status quo and create safer environments for all of us, but particularly for children and youth.

The Road Safety Education in Schools Programme focused on children and their capacity at the centre of the safety equation. The underlying message was that the road can be both your greatest friend and your biggest danger.

Deliverables

This project was developed to be consistent with the school curriculum for level 6 and 7 students, and it aimed to impart practical knowledge through road safety materials on walking safely (pedestrian safety) and travelling safely (passenger and public transport safety). The 8- to 10-hour programme was comprised of classroom lessons, take home exercises, and practical simulation activity.

Location

The pilot program took place at four schools in three cities in India:

Bangalore: Gopalan National SchoolSurat: Ryan International School L. P. Savani SchoolChennai: Gurukulam School

The Launch

In all locations, the launch of the programme included a welcome speech, a video on road safety, a speech by the guest of honour (a traffic police officer), and a skit highlighting the importance of road safety. The launch concluded with the students taking a solidarity walk to a nearby traffic signal. Escorted by a team of police personnel, the students carried placards with different slogans delivering the message of road safety to the neighborhood.

Objective

The key objective of this project was to increase students’ knowledge and skill in the area of road safety using active learning methodology.

Sources:World Health Organization Road Traffic Injuries Fact Sheethttp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/ Global Status Report on World Safety http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241563840_eng.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Preventionhttp://www.cdc.gov/safechild/NAP/background.html World Report on Child Injury Preventionhttp://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/child/injury/world_report/Road_traffic_injuries_english.pdf World Report on Child Injury Preventionhttp://www.unicef.org/eapro/World_report.pdf

Training session in Gurukulum School


Curriculum and Training

The road safety classes were filled with activities in which the students learned through making charts of various traffic signs, enacting role plays about pedestrian responsibility and crossing behaviour, drawing various route maps, and discovering safe ways to travel in the busy cities. The curriculum included:

WEEK CURRICULUM RESULT

Week 1 Introduction to the Road Safety Programme

This was a conversational session with students, involving discussions regarding road safety, various traffic signals, and precautions to take when on the road. Students enjoyed sharing their thoughts and ideas about the topic. Trainers summed up what students said and gave an introduction to the road safety programme.

Week 2 Pedestrian Responsibility,Road Crossing Survey

In this lesson students were paired up and asked to role play the scenario of a elder brother/sister leading a younger sibling through the traffic. A few students were selected beforehand to enact/role play a traffic situation. There was 100% participation of students as they learned about the term “pedestrian” and what kind of responsibilities they have when they are in traffic. The students filled out a road crossing survey at the end of the session.Learning: Students learned about various traffic signals and their importance, as well as the rules of crossing a road.

Week 3 A Split Second Students were asked to draw the scenario described in the workbook. Trainers led a short discussion with the students about the scenario.Learning: Students learned that it only takes a split second for an accident to occur. A careful approach in traffic is necessary. Traffic rules keep us safe while we are on the road.

Week 4 Temptations Trainers used posters to introduce the topic. They discussed with the students the reasons that accidents occur. Students came up with various reasons/temptations. Learning: Students learned the various temptations—such as speeding, ignoring signals, not starting on time to school—that cause accidents.

Week 5 New Way, New Route Students created their own route from their home to school and also had an opportunity to work along with their parents/siblings to create a pedestrian route. They had the pleasure of working with their parents and were encouraged to discover if there could be a better route for them and, if so, why.Learning: Students learned the safest route to their school.

Week 6 View it, Read it, Think it This lesson involved students in examining and evaluating the messages about road safety that are conveyed by the media through advertisements of vehicle/transport products.Learning: Students had an opportunity to express their views on the advertisements.

Week 7 Road Crossing, SLLT Students by now were trained to STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, THINK (SLLT) in various scenarios and circumstances. Students were given a scenario and asked to tell the trainers what they should do in that particular scenario. Learning: Using an active learning methodology, students learned how to SLLT.


Promotional Activities

The promotional activities for the 7-week programme followed a different theme for each lesson.

WEEK ACTIVITY THEME

Week 1 SIGN UP Road Signs. A variety of road signs were placed in different locations throughout the school. For instance, a SILENCE ZONE sign was posted near the principal’s office.

Week 2 CLICK IT OR TICKET Seat Belts. To educate the students about wearing seat belts, the students were provided with sashes/broad satin ribbons and asked to wear them for a particular period throughout the week.

Week 3 DRIVING MOM & DAD Education of Parents. Children can influence their parents in the matter of road safety. The students were asked to create Principle Cards with messages, quotations, or tips that they gave to their parents—so the parents learned along with the children.

Week 4 NUMBERGENCY Emergency Numbers. Emergency numbers were posted all over the school, along with banners with case scenarios.

Week 5 RIDE THE SAFETY WAGON

Safety Signs. Signs that are outside hospitals and schools were posted throughout the school.

Week 6 THE “DO NOT” WEEK Behaviours to Avoid. Scenarios were presented on what one does not do on the roads, such as Don’t Drink and Drive, Don’t Text and Drive, etc. Students created drawings and posters on the theme.

Week 7 THE “DO” WEEK Behaviours to Embrace. Learnings were summarized about actions that need to be followed on the roads to make it safe for everyone.

Event launch in Bangalore school


Impact /Outcome

The workshops had a direct impact on the students by encouraging survival skill development. Children had the opportunity to involve their parents and others in learning about the local road situation. The experiential activities involving the creative participation of the students supported engagement and retention. The school management also noticed that the road safety lessons broke up the monotony of the regular school routine.

At the conclusion of the workshop, all of the students were presented with a certificate for their participation.The pilot project was well received by students, teachers, and parents—and received significant praise from those who observed or participated in the array of activities included in the instructional course work, including the traffic departments. Chief among the suggestions for improvements of the programme were the suggestion that it be offered to younger students and conducted earlier in the school year. An impact measurement survey is being conducted to discover the recall of the lessons and activities for those students who underwent this workshop.

Depending on the timetable, the programme was delivered in 6 to 8 weeks in all schools.

Conclusion

For school children in India, increasing the awareness and understanding of traffic and road safety practices will have an immediate impact on a reduction in traffic-related injuries and fatalities. This awareness will help save lives.

The pilot project funded by Shell India Markets Private Limited, and conducted by Fleet Forum, successfully brought road safety education into the classrooms and lives of the children, parents, and teachers in the four schools in which the pilot was conducted. The students enjoyed the programme as an extracurricular activity, but it was more than that. These 604 students represent the future of their country—responsible for carrying the message of traffic awareness and safety to their peers and family members.

As a result of the success of the pilot programme, both the school authorities and the implementing partners of the programme have a high degree of confidence in the potential of scalability. Many more children, in additional schools and communities across India, could benefit from the delivery of the Road Safety Education in Schools Programme.

The information gathered through the pilot provides clear guidance for effectively building a much greater understanding of the importance of traffic and road safety awareness among school children, and of working with the leadership and teachers within the schools as an excellent way to foster this life-saving awareness in the minds of children.

Walkathon in Bangalore school


Appendix A: Shell Road Safety in India

Shell is one of the largest and most diversified international investors in India’s energy sector among all global integrated oil companies. It is the only global major corporation to have a fuel retail license in India. Besides being a major private sector supplier of crude, products, chemicals, and technology to public/private sector oil companies, Shell also has key interests in lubricants, bitumen, and aviation and marine products while operating an LNG receiving and re-gasification terminal, as well as a significant technology center and a financial business services center. India has been a focus country for investments from the global Shell Foundation, which has already invested over US$ 18 million to date impacting more than 2 million people.

Shell staff and contractors drive more than 1.1 billion kilometres each year, around 75 times around the globe every day. Getting road safety right has long been a priority—and a serious challenge. Shell is making progress through their company-wide road safety standards and proactive driver safety programmes. They are also working in partnerships to help set industry standards and pool skills and resources. Activities include continued support for local and national road safety programmes in many of the countries where they operate.

The number of cars in India is expected to multiply about 50 times over the next four decades. With such rapidly increasing traffic, safety will be a growing challenge.

Following simple safety rules can help avoid incidents—and Shell is working to raise awareness of this in the wider community. For example, Shell works with local government and develops road safety awareness programmes for use in schools, funding this initiative to improve road safety training among schoolchildren and teachers.

Sources:

P31: International Transport Forum: “Transport Outlook - Seamless Transport for Greener Growth 2012”

http://www.shell.com/global/environment-society/safety/road-safety.html

Event launch in Chennai school


Appendix B: About Fleet Forum

Fleet Forum is an association that seeks solutions to road safety and fleet transport issues through collaboration. It includes non-government organisations, United Nation agencies, academic institutions, donors, and corporate partners.

Founded in 2003 as a joint initiative of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and World Vision International (WVI), Fleet Forum is an interagency association of more than 40 members, including non-government organisations, United Nation agencies, academic institutions, donors, and corporate partners. It was formed to encourage, facilitate, and develop relationships between relevant organisations and interested parties all over the world. Its mission is to provide leadership and support to humanitarian transport fleets in the areas of road safety, cost efficiency, and environmental impact in order to save lives, save costs, and save the environment.

Contact

Vivek SinhaProject Manager India | Fleet Forum

M: +91 9911864555E: [email protected]

http://www.fleetforum.org/

Erik SnellaarsProgramme Manager | Fleet Forum

M: +31 6 224 18 574E: [email protected]

Event launch in Bangalore school


Appendix C: Feedback of Children

“Road Safety classes were so different. First I was not at all interested, but I enjoyed being a participant in role-plays. I played a role for the chapter ‘Temptations.’ I learnt that even listening to music with earphones is a reason that causes accidents. I learnt what I should not do when I am crossing the road.”–Nirmal G. K. VI A. Gopalan National School

“I love everything about Road Safety classes. We learnt a lot. But my favourite was making various traffic signals. We had lot of fun fixing them all over the school. I learnt a lot of new traffic signals too.”–Eashita Singh. VII B. Gopalan National School

“A split second is my favourite lesson. The discussion, charts, conversation was very interesting.”–Shreyas Karuvat VII A. Surat

“From all the lessons, I like STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, THINK. I learnt why so many accidents are happening in India, because of temptations. I shared what I learnt with my father, brother, sister and mother.”–Priyanka Sarda, VI A, L.P. Savani

“I learnt how to cross the road, different traffic signals. I enjoyed the training a lot, among all the lessons I like the most is ‘Brand New Way.’ I enjoyed drawing a route map from my home to school and showed it to my parents. I did this along with my sister at home. It was so much fun, and also me and my sister understood what are the measures we need to take in this route.”–Anjali Bhutra, VI B, L.P. Savani

“I learnt a lot from activities and games we played. Why we should not take risk while in traffic. I used to share all these lessons with my cousins and they helped me a lot.”–Sumit P. Bhatiya, VI B, Ryan International School

Walkathon by the students of Ryan International School

Event launch in Ryan International School


Appendix D:Feedback of Principals & Teachers

“I was not sure how effective it would be. In the end when I saw children coming up with creative bookmarks and posters, they were around the school promoting Road Safety among the school by wearing seat belts (satin ribbons). I could see children enjoying the sessions and I am sure they have learnt about various traffic signals, traffic behaviour like cautions to take by looking at the posters they have displayed all over the school. It did break the monotony for the children.”–Ms. Sandhya Raman, Principal, Gopalan National School, Bangalore

“I could see children anticipating Road Safety classes. Children’s active participation and also learning was seen. Not to forget the cartoon video played during the launch is very educative. Team work of both 6th and 7th students was amazing.”–Ms. Singh, Head Mistress, Gopalan National School, Bangalore

“This is a very innovative idea to improve traffic rules and regulation implementation in early childhood, so that in future they will follow all rules and regulations in their life.”–Mr. Sailesh Sutaria, Principal, Ryan international School, Surat

“Good guidance by the team. Special thanks to the head and other representatives of the concern.”–Principal, L.P. Savani Academy, Surat

“The work which you are doing of sharing your knowledge on traffic rules and road safety is the most essential because of the incidents taking place nowadays. Wishing you all the best for future workshops.”–Mrs. Ratna Patil, Teacher, VI A, L. P. Savani Academy, Surat

“You should continue with such type of workshops on different topics and issues. So that our youth can get more knowledge about the values of rules and regulations meant for them.”–Mrs. Preeti D. Dadhich, Teacher, L.P. Savani Academy, Surat

Activity day in L. P. Savani School

Event launch in Gopalan National School

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