Background ‘Safe Kids Foundation’s, Walk This Way’-a pedestrian safety program teaches children to ‘Walk Safe and Cross Safe’ through educational sessions and awareness activities. Annually more than 220,000 children from 350 schools in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are benefited by this program. While educating children on road safety, it was observed that children were receptive, willing to adapt to road safety rules and thereby act as ‘young advocates’ to facilitate behaviour change.

Objective To train teachers and build their capacities to carry out age specific innovative interventions on road safety in schools. To conscientize students, parents communities and other stakeholders on the issues of road safety through various activities in school/communities to naturally build the safety culture amongst the targeted stakeholders. To conduct research to study impact of educational sessions on children.

Results Teachers, children, parents and communities are conscientized on road safety. In this model, to reinforce the messages at regular intervals, activities like game, songs, competitions are conducted. Educational tools such as flipcharts, posters, banners, demonstrations materials like dummy signals, zebra crossing, activity books etc, help in better understanding and comprehension of the information provided. Peer to peer education enabled sensitise 2,500 children by fellow mates. Children’s initiative as safety advocates helped in effectively bringing attitudinal & behavioural changes amongst children and adults. Photo voice, model school zone are research based interventions, initiatives like observing Global Road Safety Week, Road Safety Week- India generates mass mobilisation, street plays and rallies help in effectively reaching the masses.

Conclusions Adopting a multipronged approach works better in building safety culture and creating positive and sustainable change.