English
What is traffic safety management
along school routes?
To increase safety and reduce traffic accidents along school routes, it is important to implement traffic safety management measures through regional cooperation among school staff, parents, police, and both local and national governments in accordance with the most recent traffic safety measures and rules.
STEP1
Approaches by local communitiesThe best approach to implementing traffic safety measures along school routes is for school staff and parents to recognize potential dangers, consider solutions, and work with local governments and police. The national government created its Program for Traffic Safety along School Routes in 2013, and asked local governments to take specific measures. Currently, more than 90% of local governments have implemented the program. It is important for everyone concerned to understand the program and work with people and organizations in the community.
STEP2
Seeking solutions by sharing issues basedon on-site surveys
Workshops for members of the community are an effective way of promoting traffic safety management along school routes. Participants work together to conduct on-site surveys to carefully check school routes from the perspective of children in terms of height and awareness in order to identify potential dangers. Next, dangerous locations and other potential risks are discussed to promote understanding and agreement for the smooth development of measures.
Be aware of the day-to-day state of school routes, including dangerous locations related to time, weather, and season.
Even on sidewalks, dangers are caused by abandoned bicycles blocking the way or riders traveling too fast for conditions.
Vehicles may speed up even on narrow roads if they are straight and easy to drive on.
Intersections without signals may become even more dangerous during times with heavy traffic.
STEP3
Effective approaches through workshops*in cooperation with local governments
and police
Sharing problems and exchanging opinions through workshops attended by school staff, parents, police, and representatives of both local and national governments deepens everyone’s understanding. In addition, inviting traffic safety specialists to attend helps participants to gain specific know-how and make proposals for broader and more effective measures. Workshops provide opportunities to discuss effective traffic safety measures combining software such as the execution and reinforcement of traffic regulations, and hardware such as the improvement of road infrastructure and reinforcement of equipment. Please read Traffic Safety Management Guidelines for School Routes (See below) for specific details on the management of workshops.
*A workshop is an interactive opportunity for participants to express their opinions about town development, etc. while solving problems and building consensus through joint work.
STEP4
Periodical verification and evaluation of effects after specific measures are institutedAfter specific measures have been instituted, it is necessary to evaluate the actual effects and compare them with the expected effects, discuss solutions, and develop plans for improvement. Because on-site conditions may change from day to day, the initial effects may gradually decrease. It is important to check periodically and to take immediate steps when new problems are identified.
[Methods]
- ・On-site surveys by workshop participants
- ・Opinion exchange among local residents about the effects of measures
- ・Survey and analysis of effects of measures by local governments and specialists
- ・Opinion surveys and sharing new problems through workshops
- ・Changing measures and discussion of new measures
[Methods]
- ・On-site surveys by workshop participants
- ・Opinion exchange among local residents about the effects of measures
- ・Survey and analysis of effects of measures by local governments and specialists
- ・Opinion surveys and sharing new problems through workshops
- ・Changing measures and discussion of new measures
STEP5
Passing down problem consciousness to the next generation of parents to ensure the continuation of approaches to traffic safetyAfter children graduate from school, parents’ awareness about traffic safety tends to diminish. As new parents with school-age children replace parents whose children have graduated, the risk of reduced problem consciousness increases. This highlights the importance of parents cooperating with schools, continuing traffic safety approaches, and passing traffic safety awareness down to the parents of new students.
STEP6
Expanding activities to other roads using lessons learned on school routesAfter approaches implemented for school routes become standard, let’s use the know-how to expand traffic safety measures to other roads in the community. Expanding these approaches to the entire region will lead to the development of safer and more comfortable lifestyles in the region. Let’s work together to expand activities to realize a safe society free of traffic accidents.
Traffic Safety Management along School Routes is a series of approaches that continue and expand the implementation of traffic safety measures along school routes in an efficient and effective manner through cooperation among school staff, parents, local residents, police and representatives from both national and local governments.
Implementing traffic safety measures along school routes
Traffic safety measures and issues along school routes differ according to area. Consult with schools and local governments first and make proposals for Traffic Safety Management along School Routes. For reference, please check the Traffic Safety Management Guidelines for School Routes on the official International Association of Traffic and Safety Sciences website, and the Manual for Community Road Zone Control published by the Japan Society of Traffic Engineers.
The Workshop Operation Manual is posted on the website shown blow along with specific cases and methods.
[School Route – Vision Zero Project]
The Vision Zero traffic safety project started in Sweden in 1997 and it aims to achieve a rate of zero fatalities involving traffic accidents.
In Japan, we've implemented the Vision Zero Project for School Routes to achieve a rate of zero fatalities involving traffic accidents along school routes with the aiｍ of drastically increasing the traffic safety for pedestrians and bicycle riders in urban areas.
[School Route – Vision Zero Project]
The Vision Zero traffic safety project started in Sweden in 1997 and it aims to achieve a rate of zero fatalities involving traffic accidents.
In Japan, we've implemented the Vision Zero Project for School Routes to achieve a rate of zero fatalities involving traffic accidents along school routes with the aiｍ of drastically increasing the traffic safety for pedestrians and bicycle riders in urban areas.
