Casey Council has released a national-first road safety guide aimed at reducing child pedestrian injuries around schools.
A Practical Guide to Safer School Precincts was launched at the newly-opened Kala Primary School in Cranbourne North.
It is expected to be rolled out by councils across Australia.
The guide provides strategies and tools to reduce risk in school zones by easing congestion and other safety measures, as well as case-studies of successful initiatives.
According to Department of Transport reaseach,a quarter of all child pedestrian and cyclist injuries in Victoria occur within 300 metres of a school.
More than half happen within 600 metres of a school.
Casey mayor Stefan Koomen said the School Precinct Road Safety Framework and Program Model are the first resources of their kind in Australia and using an evidence-based approach.
“The City of Casey is proud to lead the way in road safety innovation, sharing the learnings from our successful Safe Around Schools program and real-world experience,” Cr Koomen said.
“This initiative, which we are now sharing nationally, is helping to create safer school precincts which in turn encourages active travel such as walking or cycling, further supporting wellbeing in the community.
“Road safety around schools is everyone’s responsibility and at its heart, this program is about safer streets, healthier children, and stronger communities.”
The model was informed by the council’s Safe Around Schools program, which has been rolled out to more than 100 schools since 2020.
It promotes shared responsibility for road safety among councils, schools, parents, and students.
The guide was supported by a $250,000 grant from the Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
