What kind of road environment supports a safe journey to school?

Traffic accidents happen daily, but fortunately rarely to children on their way to school. Some parents feel that traffic is so dangerous that it is not safe to let children walk or cycle to school, even in cities with sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks. In rural areas, road safety on the way to school is also a major concern. Outside the urban areas, the speed limit is often 80 km/h, so problems are usually related to car transport and escort arrangements.

Road safety problems

There can be many different problems in the traffic environment on the school run, which cannot always be solved quickly and at once. In the feedback and initiatives received by the ELY Centre, the most common concerns are:

1. disregard for traffic rules by drivers and moped riders, speeding, not taking into account the proximity of the school

2. lack of pedestrian and cycle paths, dangerous junctions and crossings?

3. non-existent or poorly designed bus stops and escort arrangements?

Objective

The transport system must be designed so that no one has to die or even get injured on the way to school. The complex traffic environment poses challenges to ensuring a safe journey to school for all. The road authority, the police and traffic police are committed to working with schools to improve the situation. Safe journeys to school are everyone's responsibility, so tackling problems also requires the commitment of parents, teachers, parents' associations and decision-makers.

Underlying principles

The main objective of the Finnish transport administration should be a safe transport system. This is based on three key principles, all of which are essential to improving the safety of the school journey.?

1. People make mistakes. Children are impulsive and do not always behave sensibly like adults. School travel planning must take into account the development and or-dos of the child.
2. The human body can only withstand a limited amount of impact force. The risk of death or serious injury to pedestrians and cyclists, especially children, increases significantly when the speed of the collision exceeds 30 km/h. In the case of side impacts, the risk of death increases significantly when the speed of the impact exceeds 50 km/h.?
3. It is the responsibility of all of us to limit the driving speed, i.e. the force of the collision, to a level that does not result in death or serious injury. Safety on school journeys is everyone's responsibility.

Schools are individual

Schools are individual. Problems must be analysed and improvement measures designed according to the level of risk. The feasibility of measures is influenced by traffic conditions, design guidelines, the traffic system and surrounding land use. The transport authority will have to prioritise improvement measures within scarce resources. Resources must be prioritised in those areas where the risks to road safety are greatest.

School Road Safety Plan

The school community can influence how safe the journey to school is. By creating a school road safety plan that sets out the rules and procedures to be followed, i.e. what safe behaviour requires from parents, teachers, staff and pupils. The police are not the only body responsible for enforcement. Teachers, parents and pupils also have an important monitoring role.

Making school and the journey to school visible to motorists

The school and the school run should be made visually visible to motorists. Traffic signs, road markings and the visibility of the school on the road have been shown to increase safe behaviour by motorists. Motorists are more cautious and tend to drive slower if they assume they can see school children and are approaching the school. Effective LED lighting is also an excellent safety measure. Should the "Dragon's teeth" used in Australia also be tried in Finland? The purpose is to indicate different road environments and remind drivers of the proximity of a school.

Structural solutions

Structural solutions to the road environment can be effective in improving road safety, but these are often expensive and can take a long time to implement. The approach to road modifications also needs to be consistent across the country.

High-quality pedestrian and cycle paths promote active and safe travel to school. Well-designed paths in built-up areas allow pedestrians and cyclists to move where they would otherwise be unlikely to cycle or walk and also act as local amenities. Guardrail islands, speed bumps, raised crossings are effective to speed calming structures. Crossings and underpasses eliminate the risk of collisions between pedestrians and cyclists and other traffic. Only work if the route is easier, faster or significantly safer than a level crossing.

Parking and escort arrangements

School parking and escort arrangements are designed to be clear and preferably for one-way traffic. The entrance to the school may be relocated to a lower-traffic street. A traffic planner should be consulted when designing traffic arrangements in school areas. Once improvements have been made to the school traffic environment, it is important to implement a monitoring period to ensure that the changes are achieving the desired benefits and that there are no adverse effects.

An active and safe journey to school tomorrow

There are many aspects of the school travel transport system that can be improved. Safe vehicles that prevent collisions and protect road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.?

Safe road users, i.e. skilled and trained road users who are vigilant and perform well. They obey traffic rules, use safety equipment, demand and require safety improvements.?

A safe traffic environment that is predictable and where mistakes can be made. They are "self-explanatory" in that their design promotes safe driving speeds appropriate to the road's function and safety level. In such an environment, no-speed limits are credible and drivers will obey them and drive according to the conditions.

"A safe and healthy journey to school for every child by 2030"

The UN goal is to achieve "a safe and healthy journey to school for every child by 2030". This is reflected in the WHO Convention on the Rights of the Child and summarised in the Declaration on the Right of Every Child to a Safe and Healthy Journey to School. At the grassroots level, the Declaration's initiatives include improving the road infrastructure, road safety education, the distribution of safety helmets and the use of sustainable modes of transport. This is certainly a challenging goal. However, I believe that Finland is already close to achieving this goal and is working steadily towards it.

Climate change will not be solved without sustainable transport?

Climate change will not be solved without sustainable transport. Almost all the Sustainable Development Goals are directly or indirectly related to safe and sustainable school roads and vehicles. Improving the safety of school roads enables walking and cycling to school, i.e. active transport that prevents obesity reduces climate pollution and improves health. Cities that favour walking and cycling have been shown to have fewer road deaths and less air pollution.

In Finland, promoting walking and cycling is a key element in most cities. Climate targets have also been set and measures to achieve them are in place. In general, urban areas have relatively comprehensive and safe pedestrian and cycling routes.

Road accident victims

In developing countries, lower-income social classes are the most affected by road accidents. Decision-makers and citizens prefer to blame individual road users for accidents rather than policy-making and transport planning. Decision-makers in developing countries often favour large-scale car-friendly road projects that quickly yield political benefits. These projects often enable higher driving speeds rather than making traffic and school roads safer.

Finland is moving towards transport planning and urban development that favours public transport and sustainable modes of transport. However, many transport projects continue to focus on facilitating car use and 'congestion relief', and other solutions are not seen as realistic alternatives.

A safe and healthy journey to school for all children

In many developing countries, cities and roads are not designed with walking and cycling in mind. High-speed road links divide neighbourhoods and limit access to safe transport to school or leisure activities.

Since the 1970s, planning and transport projects in Finland have assessed the impact on road safety and sought to achieve the safest solutions for the transport environment. There is always room for improvement. Policymakers, urban development and transport planning are at the heart of our efforts to create safer school roads. Attitude and transport education can and should always be improved. We should use the example and best practices of the best countries in road safety, such as Norway. Together we can ensure that all children have a safe and healthy journey to school.