25
Jan

Road traffic crashes are the number one cause of death globally for youth 5-19 years of age. With more than 90% of deaths and serious injuries impacting the most vulnerable from low- and middle-income countries. Road transport also has impact to our quality of air, climate deterioration, urban environment, access and equity to safe and sustainable mobility, physical and mental health, and economic gains and losses.

Over the past two years during the global COVID-19 Pandemic, more than 616 million children remain affected by full or partial school closures. UNICEF is working across more than 190 countries to support children’s full return to in person education, and this includes safe and healthy journeys to school.

Children’s regular journey to and from school can be effectively designed, operated, and maintained to achieve safe, healthy, and sustainable mobility. For example, green spaces designed with safety and accessibility in mind support traffic calming, by slowing speeds, separating vulnerable road users from motorized transport with dedicated sidewalks and paths. This will reduce road traffic injuries in urban environments and encourage walking and cycling rather than use of motorized transport, for safe and sustainable mobility. Furthermore, speed reduction with the implementation and enforcement of 30 km/hr school zones reduces injuries, CO2 emissions and noise pollution, not only for students but for the entire community. Research from the World Bank estimates that countries that do not invest in road safety lose between 7 per cent and 22 per cent of their potential per capita GDP growth. Thus, on average, a 10 per cent reduction in road traffic injury deaths raises per capita real GDP by 3.6 per cent. Country and community investment in road safety will provide opportunities for job growth to redesign and maintain safe and healthy multi-user road environments combining transport, green spaces, schools, and community services.

UNICEF is collaborating with countries, communities, and multi-sectoral partners to advocate and foster safe and healthy journeys to schools on the ground with examples to share from China, the Philippines and Thailand with co-benefits to people, planet, and profits.