Safety of children on the road: "It is still necessary to progress, it is possible"

593 children under the age of 15 died on the roads in the year in Europe, including 103 in France. The balance is heavy. Even though the improvement has been steady for years, it is possible to do better. Review of the Europe-wide study by the Dekra technical control chain.

593 children killed in Europe in one year, reports the chain of technical control Dekra, in its annual study. Even if it is much less than before, it is still too much. A reassuring element: the decrease in road deaths for 4-15 year-olds is faster than for other age groups: -55% between 2005 and 2017, compared with 43% for those over 15 years old.

Best but still possible progress

For Xavier Diry, CEO of Dekra France, progress is still possible: "Despite a positive evolution in the long term, the current situation is by no means satisfactory. At Dekra, we are pursuing a 'Zero Vision': the aim is to completely eliminate fatal accidents on the roads and in the first place those affecting children ".

According to an Opinion Way survey, 58% of French people believe that children are not sufficiently aware of road safety. An overwhelming majority (92%) is in favor of road safety lessons being taught within the school.

However, many do not know what is already done in schools around this issue. 51% are unaware that a "knowing how to ride a bike" certificate has been implemented at the college.

Training, technique

Training dedicated to the youngest is essential. Because children are not adults in reduction. At home, perceptions, abilities and reflexes are different from ours: they do not have the same vision of the road and, up to eight years, they use hearing very little in their perception of traffic.

That's why training at school is so important. "Teaching the right behaviors, taking into account the cognitive capacities of the children" , is a major axis for Xavier Diry. On a global scale, even more effort is needed. Because 112,000 children die each year - 300 each day. And there, the tendency is to increase. In Africa and Asia, the scourge is growing.

The mortality of children on the road varies enormously depending on the country. The poorest are largely disadvantaged. The worst country is Chile; the best placed Norway. | IRTAD + WHO

The technology embedded in cars can also contribute to better safety. Today, most outgoing models are equipped with an automatic triggering emergency brake, with "pedestrian detection" capable of stopping the vehicle, even in the face of small humans. A real plus.

Some basic precautions

Almost half of the children killed on the road are not pedestrians, but passengers in a car. Very often involved, the misuse of a baby seat: a seat not fixed, or a child badly strapped.

Under these conditions, the security provided by the seat is reduced to nothing. Nine out of ten French people know the obligation to install the children in adapted equipment. But, according to Road Safety, 64% of seats are misused.

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