SDG 4 POLICY BRIEF: QUality education and road safety
written by alex ayub and Thiago Gruner

Education plays a central role in shaping the future of children and youth in their ability to reach their fullest potential. Equitable and inclusive access to education and lifelong learning opportunities also sits at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their mission to leave no one behind.

In the Policy Brief, we explain how the rights of young people to equal and quality education are often hindered by the lack of safety, security, and inclusivity available in the physical school environment. The Brief presents key data that reveal how the road traffic injuries and fatalities of young people are linked to their journey to and from school. It furthers that many children and youth are vulnerable to injury on their way to school without adequate protection from safe infrastructure, legislation, policies, or safe items such as quality helmets for children traveling by bike or motorcycle and quality car seats and seat belts for children traveling by car or bus.

key data on educatIon

key messages of the polIcy brief

Governments should

• Provide protective infrastructure around school zones for safe walking and cycling, including traffic calming measures, complete pavement routes, and crosswalks.

• Mainstream meaningful engagement of children and youth, ensuring representation for a diverse range of backgrounds and abilities, to address their needs when designing school or university environments by consulting them and their parents.

Civil Society Organizations should:

• Raise awareness of the impacts of road traffic injuries on children and youth. 

• Advocate low-speed streets with protective infrastructure by design where children and youth live and play.

Schools and Universities should:

• Implement and enforce school drop-off/pick-up policies – working with the local traffic agency whenever necessary.

• Work with local authorities to close school streets to private vehicles to limit road traffic close to the entrance.

Youth and Youth-led Organizations should: 

• Raise awareness and advocate for 30 km/h or less speed limit in school zones and identify areas to address on their routes to school. 

• Act as a role model for the community by observing road safety best practices.

message from one of our youth leaders

2021 Local Actions Winner: NKUMBUYE AMI
Nkumbuye Amie is a medical Doctor at Kabutare District Hospital, and Local Action winner 2021. He is the founder and president of the Vision Zero Youth Council Rwanda chapter.

“Back in our country, we as students come from different schools. Every week, we hear of one of our colleagues’ students dying because of road traffic injuries. Surprisingly, the ones who are always blamed are the students. It is time to stop blaming students and start engaging them because they are part of the solution to the global road safety crisis that we are facing, especially in Low-and-middle income countries. “ Rwanda Student Statement on Road Safety