Abstract

This paper summarises results and recommendations from a 20 country survey of road-related child injury prevention initiatives from around the world. The WHO/Unicef report on child injuries confirmed the horrific toll from childhood injuries across the world, especially road trauma. On the other hand, child injury prevention is a complex objective and very much depends on the environment and social context in which the intervention takes place. The survey is based on two components A seven country study tour late 2009 by the author, supported by a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust research Fellowship; and a 12 country survey of other member countries of the Safe Kids Worldwide network of child injury prevention organisations. This material will then be compared and analysed to identify common themes, successes, failures and lessons learnt from past interventions; potential for and limitations on transferring experiences in one environment into other environments; Potential strategies that the collective experience of participating countries indicate will improve future outcomes; and Common ground and the potential for the effective integration of injury prevention initiatives across injury causes and over time to improve injury outcomes for children. The author is Chief Executive of Kidsafe (the Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia) in Canberra and Chair of the Network Advisory Council of the Safe Kids Worldwide network. He has a long background in child injury prevention, management consulting and industry regulation.