Continuing from my previous post, a comprehensive plan for making children’s travel safe should address the following issues:
1. Stricter legislation and better enforcement of traffic rules
Enforcement of rules, be it traffic or elsewhere, has always been an issue in Malaysia. In the context of school alone, it is common to see cars, school buses, and transit vans 'double parked' or parked at junctions or on single- and double-yellow lines. Making U-turns in front of the school gate, stopping in the middle of the road to pick up or drop off children, jumping queues, riding straight through traffic red lights and stop signs, and purposely driving in the wrong lane are other examples where traffic rules are blatantly violated. Meanwhile, non-use of helmet (especially among children), not having a valid license, speed violation, and risk-taking behaviours are violations most often associated with motorcyclists.
If we look at the disrespect and recklessness flauntingly exhibited by Malaysian road users, one can only conclude that a lack of enforcement is to blame. Therefore, strict enforcement is needed to tackle all motoring offences. In this regard, the police have a vital role in enforcing traffic rules through community and traffic policing (Lowe et al., 2011). The rules of effective punishment are applicable in this context. Rau Verlag (1978) reported that punishment for traffic violation is most effective if the offender:
understands the direct relation between the undesirable behaviour and its punishment (i.e. the punishment is logical); and
feels that he/she will reasonably certain to experience the punishment whenever the offence occurs (i.e. the punishment is inescapable and prompt).
These elements of justice, certainty, and promptness (of the punishment) are what is lacking in this country. Until such legislation and enforcement activities are functionally in place, safety issues relating to school travel will remain unresolved.
2. Developing ‘Safe Routes to School’ programmes
While many countries have actively initiated programmes to create a safe, accessible, and convenient environment for children’s journey to school, Malaysia still has a long way to go in establishing a similar programme at the national level. In general, programmes such as ‘Kerbcraft’ in the United Kingdom and ‘Safe Routes to School’ (SRTS) in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States have demonstrated significant results in decreasing child pedestrian and cyclist accidents as well as in improving children's roadside behaviour (Safe Routes to School National Partnership, 2009). A typical SRTS programme usually consist of activities focusing on educating children about road safety, decreasing accident rates, increasing the number of children to walk and cycle to school, improving traffic safety around schools, encouraging children to become physically active, and decreasing pollution and obesity.
Serious efforts to develop such a programme at the national level demands coordinated efforts and multi-level strategies involving family, school, community, workplace, and government. A SRTS programme is only effective if it is put forward as a planned strategy that simultaneously considers family constraints and resources (Merom et al., 2006). While this arrangement might sound rather far-fetched, evidence is increasing that when implemented successfully, SRTS programmes can effectively encourage safe and healthy travel to school. Looking in particular at the benefits that the programme offers, it is therefore timely for Malaysia to gear its efforts towards developing a comprehensive, practical, and well-executed SRTS programme.
3. Reshaping road infrastructures and improving public transport services
Safe routes to school programmes, road safety education, or other behavioural change strategies will not be fully effective without appropriate infrastructures and essential services. However, strategic transport infrastructure and planning in this country has been inadequately addressed in the past. The vast majority of road infrastructure that we have limits walking and cycling. For example, lack of safe bicycle lanes and footpaths, bumpy roads, potholes and cracks, uneven pavement, road resurfacing humps, poor signage, and excess gavel or other debris left on the road are common sights on Malaysian roads.
What is needed, therefore, is not another high-profile infrastructure projects in selected urban areas, but a nationwide framework of transportation development and management, with a particular focus on development, policies, and regulations of public transportation system. Some suggestions that may be of interest to authorities charged with the responsibility for roads, public transport, and traffic management include:
providing a pedestrian-friendly traffic environment
improving the overall service punctuality and reliability of public transport, particularly bus
maintaining all road and transport infrastructure on a more regular basis
enforcing traffic calming measures and limiting car use on home-school routes
strengthen safety monitoring of school buses and traffic flow in school zones
4. Implementing family-friendly working policies and alternative work schedules
Provision of workplace policies or practices that are in favour of working parents would also help change parents' travel mode choice for the journey to school and to work. For example, studies on alternative work schedules show that a compressed workweek, flexible working hours, staggered shifts, and telecommuting can all decrease the time spent commuting, reduce peak period congestion, and facilitate ridesharing and transit use (TDM Encyclopedia, 2016). A similar approach could be promoted in this respect and in fact is already underway in Malaysia, with some organisations already offering telework arrangements for their employees (Noor & Mohd Mahudin, 2015; 2016).
5. Redesigning the neighbourhood and land use pattern
Another important approach to road safety is exposure control, i.e., reduction of the need for motorised travel or limiting the mode travel choice. This approach, however, is only realistic if land use planning and policy support transit-oriented development and make schools, offices and facilities nearer to homes (Elvik et. al., 2009). Studies have shown that mixed-use neighbourhoods with good access to public transportation and connected street systems are associated with less automobile travel, increased transit ridership, and greater number of walking and cycle trips (Chakraborty & Mishra, 2013; Heath et al., 2006). These design or infrastructure changes can lead to significant reductions in the overall risk to road users.
Conclusion
Commuting is not just about how we get to school, to work, or to home; it is also about adopting a healthy lifestyle, creating a safe traffic culture, and encouraging sustainable transport use. Making school journey safe, healthy, and enjoyable experience therefore should be our utmost priority.
References:
Chakraborty, A., & Mishra, S. (2013). Land use and transit ridership connections: Implications for state-level planning agencies. Land Use Policy, 30(1), 458-469.
Elvik, R., Vaa, T., Erke, A., & Sorensen, M. (Eds.). (2009). The Handbook of Road Safety Measures, (2nd Ed.). Emerald Group Publishing Ltd.
Heath, G. W., Brownson, R. C., Kruger, J., Miles, R., Powell, K. E., & Ramsey, L. T. (2006). The effectiveness of urban design and land use and transport policies and practices to increase physical activity: A systematic review. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 3(1), S55-S76.
Lowe, C., Sutton, L., Whitfield, G., & Hardin, J. (2011). Road user safety and disadvantage. Road Safety Research Report, No. 123. London: Department for Transport. Available at http://www.crsp.ac.uk/downloads/publications/road_user_safety_and_disadvantage.pdf
Merom, D., Tudor-Locke, C., Bauman, A., & Rissel, C. (2006). Active commuting to school among NSW primary school children: Implications for public health. Health & Place, 12(4): 678-687.
Noor, N. M., & Mohd Mahudin, N. D. (2015) Work-life balance policies in Malaysia: theory and practice. In Lu, L., & Cooper, C. (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Work-Life balance in Asia - New Horizons in Management, pp. 207-235. UK: Edward Edgar Publishing.
Noor, N. M., & Mohd Mahudin, N. D. (2016). Work, family and women’s well- being in Malaysia. In Connerley, M. L., & Wu, J. (Eds.), Handbook on Well-Being of Working Women, pp. 717-734. The Netherlands: Springer and the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS).
Rau Verlag, W. (1978). When is punishment effective? Considerations on the effective use of punishment to reduce the traffic accident hazard. Schriftenreihe der polizei-fuehrungsakademie, 5(1), 22-30.
Safe Routes to School National Partnership. (2009). Safe Routes to School 2009 Policy Report, Moving to the Future: Building on Early Achievements. Available at http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/pdf/SRTS-09-FinalPolicy.pdf
Transportation Demand Management Encyclopedia (TDM). (2016). Alternative work schedules: Flextime, compressed work week, staggered shifts. Victoria Transport Policy Institute. Available at http://www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm15.htm
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About the Author:
Nor Diana Mohd Mahudin is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the International Islamic University Malaysia. Her full profile can be found at https://psychologyiium.wixsite.com/website/nor-diana. She occasionally blogs at http://beyondcommuting.blogspot.com, and can be reached via @beyondcommuting on Twitter.
Note: This article gives the views of the Authors, and not the position of the Department of Psychology IIUM Blog, nor of the Department of Psychology IIUM.