Effectiveness of the Safe Routes to School program ("Camí Escolar, Espai Amic") in reducing pedestrian injuries: a quasi-experimental study


Effectiveness of the Safe Routes to School program ("Camí Escolar, Espai Amic") in reducing pedestrian injuries: a quasi-experimental study

About Event
6 October 2023 10:15 - 11:45
Room A

Introduction:
Many cities have promoted programs that make it easier for children to walk or cycle to school safely, usually called Safe Routes to School (SRTS). In Barcelona, SRTS ("Camí escolar, espai amic”) includes an educational program conducted within the school and the community, and changes in the environment around the school. It started in 2002, with greater deployment since 2006.

Objectives:
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the SRTS program carried out in Barcelona between 2006 and 2016 in reducing the number of road traffic collisions and injuries in the school environment. Methods: The study used a pre-post quasi-experimental evaluation design, with a matched comparison group, including 64 intervention schools. Outcomes included collisions and people injured within a radius of about 200 meters around schools during school hours, using geocoded data (2002-2019) from the local police register, and contextual variables. For each outcome measure, we fitted generalized linear mixed model with Poisson distribution.

Key words: Road safety, Children, Pedestrian, Evaluation