Contribution of traffic park to children traffic safety education

Summary

A research led by PhD candidate Mital Chakma and associate professor Kojiro Matsuo from the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Toyohashi University of Technology has highlighted the contribution of “Traffic park (TP)” to children traffic safety education. Using Toyohashi TP as a case study, the research evaluates how frequent TP usage improves children's traffic rule awareness and behavioral intentions, ultimately fostering safer mobility habits.

Details

Culturally many Japanese elementary school children walk to and from school independently (without adults) by forming a small group called a “shuudantogeko” in Japanese, known as the “walking school bus (WSB)” in English. This active commuting is essential for children’s health and social development. To ensure the continuity of this tradition, it is crucial to improve children's travel safety through basic traffic safety education that equips them with the necessary skills for safe interactions with traffic and pedestrians. Previous research indicates that children’s traffic accidents often occur unintentionally due to insufficient traffic knowledge, inadequate behavioral skills, limited cognitive and perceptual abilities, and a lack of experience in walking independently.

To address this issue, the research team investigated the contribution of Traffic Parks (TPs) to children’s traffic safety education by analyzing how children's knowledge of traffic rules and behavioral intentions are influenced by their experiences of using and playing at a TP before and after entering school.

Lead researcher Mital Chakma stated, "We analyzed response data from more than 800 children, collected through a questionnaire survey conducted in four elementary schools in Toyohashi City. The survey assessed children's awareness and behavioral intentions regarding ten traffic rules, along with the frequency of their TP usage. We applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to understand the complex relationship between children's frequency of TP use, their traffic rule awareness, and behavioral intentions. The results revealed that children's frequent use of TPs before entering school significantly improves their awareness of traffic rules and their behavioral intentions, contributing to safer mobility."

Chakma also added, “TP is an engaging place for children where they can play, ride bicycles, interact with other children, and learn traffic rules in a play-based manner. These research findings have practical implications for developing foundational traffic safety awareness and behavior among children, particularly during the critical transition to elementary school.”

Future Prospects

This research identified Traffic Parks as an effective play-based method for teaching traffic rules to children. However, this research is limited to the targeted TP only. The research team would like to explore other TPs in Japan and globally, as guidelines and policies may differ across regions.

Reference

Chakma, M., Matsuo, K., & Sugiki, N. (2025). Impact of Traffic Park Use on Children’s Traffic Rule Awareness and Behavioral Intentions: Case Study in Toyohashi City. Sustainability, 17(3), 937. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030937.