A road safety booklet designed for children aged 3-3 1/2 years and their parents was evaluated in a 2 month trial involving more than 800 three year olds and their parents. Interviews with the mothers and these children indicated that the booklet had significantly improved mothers' road safety teaching and the children's traffic and road safety knowledge. Most mothers liked the design and content of the booklet and said they had used it regularly. However, although the booklet advised mothers not to let their children play in the street and not to let their children cross roads alone, there seemed to be almost no change in the mothers' behaviour in these respects. Social class was generally not a significant factor, but rural mothers seemed to make less use of the booklet than urban mothers and did not like the booklet quite as much. Nearly all mothers expressed a wish to receive further booklets if a graded series of 6 monthly booklets were to be produced for children aged 3-5 1/2. Most mothers, and particularly those from the lower social class groups, were in favour of associating a children's traffic club with such a series of booklets. (Author/publisher)
Abstract