Safe Kids/FedEx children pedestrian road safety program

摘要

The Philippines is a low-middle income country with an estimated population of 102 Million and a 2.18 annual population growth rate. The consequent urbanization has rapidly increased the number of motor vehicles resulting in increased number of road traffic injuries in the country. According to the World Health Organization, next to assault, road traffic crashes are the second leading cause of injury deaths for all ages. Among 0 to 17 years old children, road traffic crashes is also the second leading causes of deaths, next to drowning. In 2004, Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines (SKWP) and FedEx worked hand in hand to address this problem using a pedestrian safety program called “Walk This Way”. The aims are to educate the children on pedestrian safety and improve the walking environment of the schools thereby improve the safety of children and other road users while on the roads. SKWP and FedEx started to organize and build coalitions in five cities and used the three E's - Education, Engineering and Enforcement. For education, it tries to transfer the knowledge by giving training to principals, teachers, children and parents on pedestrian safety. The Engineering component looks into improvements in the walking environment of the children and their guardians to and from the schools by working with concerned government and non-government organizations. The Enforcement component on the other hand seeks to improve implementation of pertinent laws through dialogues, advocacies and events. The Walk This Way Program has been implemented in 6 cities in the span of 11 years, 5 in a given year. In 2014 a modified approach, the Young Road Safety Advocate Program (YRSAP) was introduced. This “peer to peer” approach enlists senior outstanding students to teach younger students in their own schools. The last two years saw the training of about 900 outstanding students on pedestrian safety who in turn taught approximately 100,000 younger students. The Safe School Zone Project was developed in 2009 and was able to improve four (4) public elementary schools through road safety environment education and the installation of road signs and permanent barriers. Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines through the partnership with FedEx has been recognized in the country in the field of injury prevention programs. SKWP has been invited by the Department of Health to be a member of the Technical Working Committee on Violence and Injury Prevention. Coalitions with the various cities and elementary schools have helped increase the knowledge of over a Million children on pedestrian safety. The National TV Networks have recognized and utilized SKWP in discussions about Road Safety and has become a main resource on the recently enacted helmet law for children. National and local governments together with the involved non-government organizations have looked to Safe Kids Worldwide Philippines as a key organization in Children's Safety Programs.