Background Road traffic injuries (RTI) are the second leading cause of death among children and adolescent aged 1–19 in China. However, effective intervention strategies and mechanisms to protect children from RTI in China are not yet fully understood.

Objective The study aims to develop a comprehensive intervention model for RTI prevention and evaluate its effectiveness. The result will be used to inform national policies on RTI prevention.

Programme Description This programme was conducted jointly by NCNCD ChinaCDC and UNICEF. A quasi-experimental design was applied to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Two counties were designated as the intervention group, and two other counties were selected as the control group. The target population was school-age children. The intervention group received comprehensive intervention measures, including enforcement of regulation, education for awareness and behavior change, and environment modification to reduce risks on the road. The control group did not receive any interventions. Evaluation was conducted based on the baseline survey before and endline survey after one year of intervention.

Outcomes and learnings The results indicated a significant decrease in the incidence rate of RTI among school-age children in the intervention group, from 0.88% in the baseline survey to 0.18% in the endline survey. In the control group, the incidence of RTI also decreased, albeit at a lesser rate, from 0.24% in the baseline to 0.11% in the endline. The road safety knowledge score and walking and cycling behavior score also increased significantly in the target group of the intervention group. Cooperation with multiple government departments was critical for the successful implementation of the programme.

Implication The comprehensive intervention model for children’s RTI has proven effective. The strategies and mechanisms of the interventions can be applied in other areas with similar context in China and provide good practices for other countries to learn.

Conclusion The study’s findings underscore the effectiveness of the interventions implemented in the study not only in reducing the incidence of RTI among school-age children but also enhancing road safety knowledge and behavior in the two intervention counties. The intervention strategies and mechanisms provided valuable experiences on RTI prevention for other areas.