Evaluation of National Network of Child Pedestrian Training Pilot Schemes

Funded by the Department for Transport for 4 years (Aug 2002 – July 2006).

Dr. Liz Towner and Kirstie Whelan are collaborating with Babtie Ross Silcock to evaluate the effectiveness of a network of child pedestrian training schemes currently running throughout England and Scotland. The training schemes are based around the Kerbcraft Model, which encourages community participation and recruitment of local volunteers to deliver practical training to children at the roadside. Children are trained in 3 specific pedestrian skills: Finding a Safe Place to Cross; Crossing Safely at Parked Cars and Crossing Safely at Junctions. 

The Newcastle component of the evaluation relates to designing and delivering surveys to volunteer trainers, assessing improvements in children’s pedestrian skills, a series of case studies in schools, analysing media coverage of the national programme, and analysis of STATS19 data.

Relevant Publications:
Tolmie, Thomson, Foot, Whelan, Sarvary, Morrison (Strathclyde University), Towner, Burkes, Wu (Newcastle University).  Training children in the safe use of designated crossings.  Department for Transport, Road Safety Research Report No 34.  2003.

Foot, Tolmie, Thomson, Whelan, Morrison & Sarvary.  Computer support for collaborative learning of child pedestrian skills.  In "Co-operative Learning" Gilles RM & Ashman AF (Eds). 2003.

Tolmie, Thomson, Foot, Whelan, Sarvary & Morrison.  Development and evaluation of a computer-based pedestrian resource for children aged 5 to 11 years.  Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, Road Safety Research Report No 27. 2002.

Whelan, Thomson.  The Drumchapel Project: Use of practical training programmes in young children's road safety education.  IXth European Conference on Developmental Psychology. Spetses, Greece.  September 1999.

Whelan, Thomson, Tolmie, Foot, McLaren.  A clearer road ahead: investigating visual search and attentional control in children's pedestrian behaviour.  British Psychological Society Annual Conference.  Belfast.  April 1999.

Tolmie, Thomson, Foot, McLaren, Whelan.  Problems of attention and visual search in the context of child pedestrian behaviour.  Department of Environment, Transport & the Regions, Road Safety Research Report No 8. 1998.

Thomson, Whelan.  A community approach to road safety education using practical training methods: The Drumchapel Project.  Department of Transport, Road Safety Research Report No 3.  1997.