School Children as Pedestrians in Cairo: Proxies for Improving Road Safety

Abstract

Road safety records in developing countries demonstrate that traffic accidents are one of the major causes for casualties. Accidents involving children contribute the highest percentage of total accidents. Several factors can contribute to this, such as inadequate traffic safety education and training of children, lack of awareness and courtesy of drivers towards difficulties that a child might encounter while crossing the road, and general lack of appropriate walking and crossing facilities for pedestrians. This paper attempts to infer the traffic behavior pattern of school children in Cairo. It seeks to measure the factors that affect the traffic behavior of children. These include traffic experience, cognitive skills and abilities, perceptual skills, attitude, and knowledge. These are considered to be indicative proxies of the road safety for children. Based on these factors, measures aimed to enhance the existing levels of school children traffic behavior are suggested. Several safety actions (related to aspects of education and training, engineering, legislation and enforcement, and publicity) that are meant to improve the road safety situation for school children in Cairo are recommended.