STATE-PUBLIC CONSULTATIVE COMMISSION ON THE PROBLEMS
OF ROAD SAFETY
NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR PROTECTION OF
CHILDREN’S LIFE AND HEALTH IN THE ROAD TRAFFIC
2006 - 2010
SOFIA, DECEMBER 2005
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Road traffic is an inseparable part of our daily life. It is a backbone of the economy
and has strong influence on our culture. Unfortunately, the problems of road traffic,
particularly in terms of safety, in the course of time have been pushed to the background
while other problems of the society have been given priority. At he same time everybody
demands and deserves to be able to use the roads safely.
Today road safety of children road users is one of the most complex problems of our
society in connection with healthcare. This problem is especially pressing because it is
directly connected with the protection of children’s life and health today on one hand, and
with the education of knowledgeable, well-behaving and disciplined road users tomorrow on
the other.
The general objective of this Strategy is to define the most important activities, the
obligations of the various public institutions, to improve their mutual coordination, to create
better conditions for road usage and halving the children-victims of road accidents by the end
of 2010 compared to the average victims’ number of the period 1990 - 2001.
STATISTICS
In 2000 - 2004 due to accidents along Bulgaria’s roads 326 children younger than 18
years have perished and 5928 have been injured. Out of them, 52 younger than 6 have died
and 586 have been injured, from 7 to 9 years of age 47 have died and 1252 have been injured,
from 10 to 14 years of age 96 have died and 1993 have been injured, from 15 to 18 years of
age 131 have died and 2097 have been injured. Each day more than three children become
victims of road accidents. Out of them 43.2% are pedestrians, 39.4% are passengers and
17.4% are drivers of bicycles, mopeds, motorcycles, carts, etc. The death rate is highest for
children passengers.
Road accidents comes third in the death causes chart for children aged 1 to 14, right
after circulation diseases and poisonings, together with the other trauma cases. One thing
should be noted - the responsibility for this high traumatism rate is borne by us, adults. At
first place we don’t educate them in our capacity of parents, and at second, we are not always
a good example for them. We don’s educate them in our capacity of teachers, and as traffic
organizers we don’t create the necessary conditions for safe usage of the roads by children.
Children, as road users, take different roles - pedestrians, drivers, passengers. Each of
them conceals specific threats to children’s life and health while they are on the road.
PEDESTRIANS
For the period taken into account 2699 children have been run over by cars as
pedestrians. Out of them, 30 younger than 6 have died and 353 have been injured, from 7 to 9
correspondingly 25 and 810, from 10 to 14 correspondingly 36 and 970, from 15 to 18 г.
correspondingly 12 and 463.
Out of all road accidents with children pedestrians run over by motor vehicles 95.3%
have taken place in built-up areas. Out of them 87.7% are reported in towns and cities and
12.3% in villages.
CHILDREN DRIVING BICYLCES AND OTHER VEHICLES
For the period taken into account 1091 have become victims in their role as drivers.
Out of them 2 younger than 6 have died and 22 have been injured, from 7 to 9
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correspondingly 3 and 145, from 10 to 14 correspondingly 16 and 394, from 15 to 18
correspondingly 33 and 476.
Out of the children cyclists run over by motor vehicles cases 89.5% happened in builtup areas. Out of them 74.5% happened in towns and cities and 25.5% in villages.
PASSENGERS
For the period taken into account 2464 have become victims in their role as
passengers. Out of them 20 younger than 6 have died and 211 have been injured, from 7 to 9
correspondingly 19 and 297, from 10 to 14 correspondingly 44 and 629, from 15 to 18
correspondingly 86 and 1158.
In general the children-passengers who have been killed or injured were travelling in
their parents’, relatives’ and acquaintances’ cars and in 90% of the cases were not restrained.
The analysis of road accidents with participation of children shows the existence of
some “cause-effect” relationships, connected with their behaviour and that of the other road
users; high conflict rate of the pedestrians, cyclists and drivers movement conditions; low
passengers belt usage rate; inadequate visibility and understanding between the various road
users, etc.
Serious are the problems connected with the obligations of parents, teachers, the traffic
law enforcement system, municipal authorities etc., for limiting the road accidents with
participation of children. In order to achieve a sustainable improvement of the road safety
situation, as provided by the European Action Programme for Halving the Number of Road
Victims by 2010 (СОМ(2003)311), a complete revision of the policy in this field is necessary,
and priority should be given to the complex solution of the problems related to the protection
of children’s life and health in the road traffic, the life and health of the next generation.
PEDESTRIANS
І. Raising the public awareness of the need for greater safety for children pedestrians.
Carrying out coordinated national and local information campaigns for raising public
understanding for:
1. the relation between personal health and road safety.
2. the necessity for security of pedestrians in the road traffic on an equal ground with the
other road users.
3. the way and extent to which engineering solutions can increase pedestrian safety such as traffic calming, separation of pedestrian traffic from the other traffic flows,
better and full-range traffic rules violations enforcement by use of cutting-edge
technical equipment.
4. the benefit and resource effectiveness of road traffic rules enforcement.
ІІ. Change of the behaviour of pedestrians as well as of drivers in order to increase
road safety when they use the roads simultaneously.
1. Education of pedestrians and drivers in mutual respect when they use the roads
simultaneously.
2. Carrying out public awareness campaigns on the relationship between speed, breaking
stretch, force of impact and risk of causing death to pedestrians.
3. Promotion of the society to support stricter enforcement of speed limit rules in built-up
areas, especially in school and kindergarten zones and residential areas. Introduction
of stricter legislation to ensure pedestrians’ right of way. Support for the use of
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modern traffic control technologies - cameras for photographing red light, speed
limit, parking on zebras and bus stops rules violations.
4. Development, announcement and proliferation of thematic curricula for training
parents and drivers regarding the possible children’s behaviour and reactions in their
role of pedestrians. Carrying out thematic conferences on the problems of children’s
safety in their capacity of pedestrians.
5. Promotion of parents to educate their children, depending on their age, in the rules of
safe behaviour as pedestrians.
ІІІ.
Improvement of infrastructure in order to facilitate pedestrian traffic
At national level
1. Implementation of a policy promoting the municipalities to envisage actions for
ensuring pedestrians traffic safety at the stage of planning of transport
infrastructure.
2. Introduction of standards for road building raw materials which guarantee a high
degree of pedestrian traffic safety.
3. Systematization and announcement of good practice to improve pedestrian
safety.
At local level
1. Promotion of local authorities to build sidewalks, bicycle lanes, children’s
playgrounds and other structures in order to calm and regulate traffic such as speed
humps, signalled and marked pedestrian crossings, pedestrian traffic lights,
lighting of zones with intensive pedestrian and vehicle traffic, limiting of chaotic
parking, etc.
2. Promotion of city planners, engineers, contractors and landscape architects
always to have in mind pedestrian safety, especially children and disabled people,
when planning new neighbourhoods or modify the existing ones.
3. Promotion of local authorities, designers and city planners do improve
pedestrian access and safety when designing and redesigning of schools, recreation
zones and shops.
ІV. Development and carrying out effective programmes for safe walking
1. Development of programmes for prevention of children’s lives loss and injuries of
children. Seeking cooperation with large commercial companies in order to implement
these programmes.
2. Promotion of the public institutions responsible for road safety to prepare and carry
out road safety training courses aimed at children. Promotion of the local departments
of the public education system to draw safe routes to school.
3. Promotion of development of pedestrian safety plans which will take account of the
community needs. Establishment of local pedestrian safety structures to coordinate the
implementation of education programmes, to prepare and carry out public information
and education campaigns, and to develop local pedestrian safety programmes.
4. Promotion of parents, teachers, school administrators, paediatricians employed by
schools, kindergarten etc. who have responsibilities in the field of children upbringing,
to identify, point out and support the solution of local road traffic problems.
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V. Carrying out research to identify and fill the gaps in the citizens’ knowledge.
Development of effective programmes based on the research results and turning of these
programmes into state policy.
1. Assessment of the existing children pedestrians safety programmes through their
systematic review which should select the working ones and activities based on them
should be expanded to a larger territory, e.g.:
- Educational programmes aiming at the reduction of the number of children who
suddenly rush onto the carriageway, and at helping children cross the streets
safely
- Road traffic calming measures, e.g. roundabouts, road bumps etc.
- Traffic rules enforcement measures cameras for photographing red light rules
violations.
2. Research on the programmes’ economic effectiveness.
3. Identification of behavioural features which could help for the identification of the
moment when the child is ready to cross streets on its own.
4. Identification of the necessary level of oversight on children in the different phases of
their development. Development of appropriate standards for such oversight.
5. Development, carrying out and assessment of programmes which utilize adolescents
guiding children in the field of pedestrian safety following the “the elder teach the
younger” principle.
VІ.
Research aiming at measuring the children pedestrian traumatism levels and
identifying the risk factors impacting it.
1. Identification and putting to the test of useful indirect indicators through which cases
of children pedestrian traumatism could be foreseen. Making use of these indicators
with the aim of tracking the programmes’ effectiveness.
2. Identification of the of the extent of exposure of children on risk of pedestrian trauma
due to factors like:
- the time which children spend on the street;
- traffic density;
- motor vehicles’ travelling speed;
- number of traffic lanes, the availability of marked pedestrian crossings etc.
3. Development of systems for monitoring of local risk factors which should trace the
causes for children pedestrians’ injuries, and should identify possible changes in the
environment and behaviour which could prevent these injuries.
4. Arrangements for regular acquaintance of the community about the causes and
conditions for each road accident precipitated a death of a child.
CHILDREN IN THE CAR, ON THE MOTORCYCLE AND ON THE MOPED
І. Raising the awareness of the community, the parents, the relatives, the teachers about
the necessity for greater safety when transporting children.
Carrying out of national and local campaigns for raising people’s awareness about:
1. Safe manner to transport children.
2. The possible risks, on which children are exposed during improper transportation,
getting off/on a car, staying inside the car etc.
3. The most appropriate ways for diminishing these risks by using different means of
protecting children: child restraint systems and protection helmets.
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ІІ. Legislation amendments introducing obligations for motor vehicle driver to
transport children safely.
1. Examination of the legislation and best practices of countries with enduring tradition
in this field.
2. Introduction of obligation for drivers for safe transportation of children by using
children restraint systems.
3. Wide public announcement of these legislation amendments.
ІІІ. Stricter enforcement of the new legislation.
CYCLISTS, MOPED DRIVERS, SKATEBOARDERS, ROLLER-SKATERS
Children are extremely vulnerable in their capacity of drivers. This vulnerability stems
from the very nature of the vehicles they use. Cars are outfitted with equipment and devices
which reduce the possibility for severe injuries in an accident. However, this is not the case
with vehicles used by children. Their construction is simple, their weight corresponds to the
physical abilities of children and that is why the mechanical and electronic devices which are
something common for cars are not present here. At the same time, these vehicles can reach
some speed which is higher than that of walking or running, and higher speed increases the
risk of injury on the fragile child’s organism.
These are the main reasons for paying special attention in this Strategy to children
drivers.
І. Raising the community’s awareness of the threats which motor traffic poses to
children drivers
1. Development and implementation of programmes for education of parents and adult
drivers. This education should include knowledge about age peculiarities of children
(what they can do and what they can’t do in their capacity of cyclists, motorcyclists,
moped drivers, skateboarders and roller-skaters). Promotion of parents to take care of
their children as road users, and to teach them in the relevant for their age road traffic
rules.
2. Organization of children’s education in road safety from the driver’s point of view,
from the earliest of age.
3. Organization of events and festivities which in the shape of shows will teach children
in the principles of road safety.
4. Announcement and promotion of out-of-class physical activity implying education in
road safety.
5. Widening the range of the National Applied Cycling Competition in all its directions,
master driving, technical knowledge and first aid skills.
6. Constant acquaintance of the community about road accidents with participation of
children drivers which have taken place due to loose parental control, giving the keys
of the family car etc.
ІІ. Increasing the restraint systems use rates of children drivers.
1.
Clarifying to the community of the benefits from using restraint systems.
Increasing the safety helmets use rates of children cyclists, skateboarders,
motorcyclists, moped drivers etc.
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2. Information campaign aimed at parents with the purpose of promoting them to
exercise constant control over children drivers.
3. Clarifying to the community the benefit from the good visibility of children on the
road which will be achieved by using light-reflecting elements and light-coloured
clothes.
ІІІ. Creation of better conditions for driving bicycles, skateboards and roller-skates.
1. Strengthening of the cooperation with the municipal authorities in order to provide
safe places for driving skateboards and roller-skates as well as building of safe
cycling lanes.
2. Where the environment does not allow the building of new cycling lanes, stricter
traffic rules enforcement should be provided which would ensure the reduction of
the risk of road accident with the participation of a child driver.
3. Safeguarding the school zones by means of traffic calming, organization and
regulation.
SUPPORT FOR AND WIDENING THE RANGE OF NATIONAL COMPETITIONS,
QUIZZES ETC.
1. Promotion of development of educational films, literature and handbooks,
computer games etc. in the field of road safety
2. Carrying out of national school quizzes and competitions.
3. Carrying out of national children’s paintings and essay competitions on the road
safety topic.
4.
Participation of children in school patrols and joint patrols with traffic law
enforcement authorities or adults, etc.
December 15th 2005