Research world-wide indicates that in countries where road safety education is compulsory, the accident rate is relatively low and in countries where road safety education is partly compulsory or where there is no road safety education at all the accident rate is relatively high. Road safety education thus forms the focus in the accomplishment of traffic safety and is a contributing factor in the reduction of the death toll. A comprehensive study was done from 1997 to 1999 in order to develop a core curriculum for road safety education. This paper is an attempt to spell out the value thereof. The curriculum was developed accordingly to four parallel research processes, namely: 1) Various curriculum models were studied in order to identify a model that will form the basis of the road safety education process; 2) The different age and developmental phases as well as accompanying limitations of the target group were identified and specific road safety themes aimed at overcoming these limitations were selected; 3) A comparative study between the curricula of 14 countries in Southern Africa and overseas were made and common road safety themes that feature prominently in the various curricula were identified; and 4) Questionnaires were sent out to teachers regarding the level of road safety education presently in schools and to parents regarding the young road user's exposure to different traffic situations as well as general road safety education. The above-mentioned processes were integrated in order to develop the core curriculum for road safety education in South Africa. This curriculum is based on the principles of co-operation, critical thinking and social responsibility, and should empower all young road users to participate safely in all aspects of society. This could best be achieved by a national curriculum, which prides general road safety education as a platform for lifelong learning and contributes to the reduction of accidents, deaths, injuries and the accompanying pain and suffering. (Author/publisher).
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