Acquisition and Retention of Pedestrian Safety Knowledge in Elementary and Middle School Students Through the WalkSafe Injury Prevention Program

Abstract

Pedestrian injuries and fatalities are pervasive, often preventable, and globally recognized. Road safety is an international, national, and local concern that affects billions of people, particularly those who live in underserved communities and with poor transportation accessibility and road safety infrastructure. Since 2005, the evidence-based WalkSafe pedestrian education program has been implemented annually across elementary public schools. This is the first study conducted on WalkSafe with a focus on knowledge acquisition by elementary students and retention of safety concepts by middle schoolers. Data were collected from a total of 3,621 elementary students at 36 participating schools and 1,112 middle schoolers at 29 middle schools using a student survey. The correct percentage of Kindergarten post- and Grade 3 post-survey responses significantly improved in 10 of the 11 survey items. Middle schoolers (N = 1,112) maintained a high correct percentage in nine of the 11 knowledge survey questions. Results of this study validate previous studies on the effectiveness of WalkSafe on students’ pedestrian safety knowledge. Results also indicate that middle schoolers retain safety knowledge once they are no longer exposed to WalkSafe. Practical implications of this study include the significant role of safety school-based interventions in promoting safety knowledge in children through reinforced learning and innovative strategies. Further research is needed on the internalization and transfer of safety knowledge to pedestrian safety attitudes and behaviors in children. National and state policies on and funding for pedestrian school-based safety education should be part of the societal discourse.