In many OECD countries, road-related crashes are the number one killer of children under the age of 15. Tragically, one child out of every 2100 will die before their fifteenth birthday in a road-related incident, and a considerably higher number will suffer severe injuries or lifelong disabilities. Since the last OECD report on children's transport safety was published in 1983, an estimated 100,000 children perished in road-related crashes – which is not acceptable.

Considerable advances have been made in most OECD countries since 1984 which have halved the number of children killed per annum on their roads. More fatalities could still be avoided if all OECD countries adopted practices known to be effective in improving children’s road safety.  

Keeping Children Safe in Traffic outlines the progress that has been made in the last twenty years, as well as the need for ongoing change. It provides the latest statistics on children’s injuries, fatalities and trends in transport. It examines the most effective current strategies, identifies areas for improvement and makes a series of policy-related recommendations for improving children’s road safety.

This report is particularly geared towards policy makers, transport planners, regulators and strategists, as well as road safety professionals, motorist associations and researchers.    less