Compared with other age groups, older pedestrians are at greater risk of being killed in traffic accidents. This article discusses a pedestrian safety workshop developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the University of North Carolina's Highway Safety Research Center (UNC/HSRC). The half-day workshop aims to foster interaction between older pedestrians, local department of transportation engineers, law enforcement personnel, traffic safety education professionals, and influential decision makers. In developing the pedestrian safety workshop, NHTSA and UNC/HSRC wanted to make it easy for any interested person regardless of age or transportation background to obtain the instructional materials and deliver the half-day event. To support that aim, the partners produced a guide that contains scripts and speaker notes for seven modules, including one that can be used as a stand-alone for a general audience to impart practical information related to risky situations and what participants can do to be safer when walking. The workshop requires participants to take an observational walk around the neighbourhood to hear firsthand from older participants about challenging situations and measures that could make walking more appealing and safer. One key component of the workshop is that participants include professionals from various disciplines who are called on throughout the presentation to clarify or amplify the instructor's points. In developing the workshop, the team tailored messages and activities to establish a common basis for discussion across disciplines. The workshops are designed to help foster ongoing collaboration. In addition, NHTSA is conducting a second round of pilot workshops to develop technical support and evaluate the program. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting