To cross or not to cross: A closer look at children’s decision-making on the road

Abstract

This study seeks to understand children’s road-crossing decision-making. A range of factors affect children’s judgments, including 1) traffic characteristics, 2) travel behaviour, 3) neuropsychological characteristics and 4) other relevant individual, parental and household factors. The critical factors associated with the road-crossing judgments of 906 participating children from four primary schools were examined within an integrated methodological framework, including physiological measurements, a neuropsychological test, questionnaires and a road-crossing experiment. Binary logistic generalised estimating equations (GEE) modelling was used for statistical analysis of the road-crossing decisions. Younger children were significantly less able to make correct and safe judgments compared with older children. Children also had considerable difficulties making safe judgments for vehicles travelling at over 30 km/h and those approaching from the offside lane. Visual distractions were also associated with significantly poorer road-crossing decisions, independent of child age and gender. Parents and educators should alert children about risky road-crossing situations and educate them accordingly. The findings also provide a solid foundation to inform policy and planning to build and maintain child-friendly neighbourhoods, such as implementing reduced speed limits and traffic calming measures especially in residential and school neighbourhood road environments, in order to improve children’s safety and their wellbeing.