Acceptability of Children Road Safety Education in Pakistan: A Mixed-Method Approach to Exploring Parents’ and Teachers’ Perspectives

Imran Nawaz (), Ariane Cuenen, Geert Wets and Davy Janssens
Additional contact information
Imran Nawaz: UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Ariane Cuenen: UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Geert Wets: UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium
Davy Janssens: UHasselt, The Transportation Research Institute (IMOB), Martelarenlaan 42, 3500 Hasselt, Belgium

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-28

Abstract: In Pakistan, implementing road safety education (RSE) initiatives is vital in tackling the concerning rates of road accidents. Since parents and teachers are crucial in moulding children’s road safety behaviours, this study investigated the perspectives of parents and teachers regarding the acceptability of RSE programs in Pakistan. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative data from questionnaires ( n = 63 teachers, n = 97 parents) with qualitative insights from interviews (five teachers, four parents). The study reveals significant gaps in RSE implementation across educational levels (i.e., primary, secondary, and high school), with not even half of the teachers reporting dedicated RSE programs in their curriculum, majorly in secondary and high schools. Both parents and teachers express dissatisfaction with current RSE effectiveness, highlighting a critical need for improvement. Key barriers to RSE implementation include cultural norms, inadequate infrastructure, and limited teacher training. However, the study also identifies a strong interest from parents and teachers in participating in effective RSE programs. Parents favour a mixed approach to RSE delivery, combining online and physical formats, and prefer short, frequent sessions for their children. The research underscores the need for a multidimensional RSE approach, addressing educational content, societal perceptions, and infrastructure improvements. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and educators to enhance RSE and improve children’s road safety knowledge in Pakistan.

Keywords: road safety education; traffic safety awareness; parent’s involvement; child road safety; teachers’ perspectives; mixed method approach (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/1/18/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/1/18/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:1:p:18-:d:1571348

Access Statistics for this article

Societies is currently edited by Ms. Farrah Sun

More articles in Societies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().