Road safety for children and adolescents is a serious public health concern. According to NCRB, 40 child lives are being lost per day to road crash. In five years (2018–2022), road crashes caused death of 77,386 children and adolescents. Maharashtra falls third-highest in road deaths and Pune district comes second after Mumbai. India is committed to UN Decade of Action for Road Safety to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.

Objectives

• Understand status of road safety for children and adolescents in Pune district,

• Explore institutional arrangements to strengthen road safety for children and adolescents,

• Introduce safe systems approach to institutional stakeholders,

• Demonstrate pilot actions to strengthen road safety at school,

• Prepare recommendations for consideration of state government.

ObjectivesUNICEF Maharashtra in collaboration with RISE Infinity Foundation, and knowledge partner Centre for Environment Education, undertook the project to strengthen child and adolescent road safety in Pune district. The project was initiated under the aegis of Pune District Road Safety Committee, and in association with Pune District Collectorate, PMC and PCMC.

It was aligned with “Safe Systems Approach” to road safety, which is recommended by intergovernmental agencies including World Bank, WHO, UNICEF and IFRC.

Activities Undertaken, Key Outcomes and Outputs (September 2023-March 2024):

• Visioning Workshop, adopted vision of “halving road crash fatalities for children and adolescents.”

• Assessment of child and adolescent road safety in Pune district.

• Master Trainer’s module for local government institutions.

• Workshops to train 84 representatives from government departments.

• IEC Materials, to disseminate information.

• Demonstrations at 3 schools, towards institutionalisation of road safety.

• Pune District Road Safety Action Plan for Children and Adolescents.

• Policy brief for state government.

Learnings 1.Educational institutes can be catalysts for engaging families, school staff, communities and institutional stakeholders in child and adolescent road safety, adopting the safe systems approach.

2.Age-appropriate educational approaches are needed, for young children and youth.

3.“Safe systems approach” orientation is essential for institutional stakeholders.

Learnings and experiences are carried to state government and district authorities to implement in the state and districts.

It needs to shift from educating children to enabling adults to create and manage safe systems.