Two-third school-going adolescents in Delhi cross major roads alone on their way to school while walking remains the dominant mode of travel, a new study has found highlighting the need for safer school routes. The study, which included 4,789 students aged 10-19 years, was conducted across four public schools located near high-crash road segments, or “black spots”, in Delhi by the George Institute of Global Health and was supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Published in the peer-reviewed journal Injury Prevention, the study examined how adolescents in the age group travel to and from their schools, their understanding of road safety signs, safety practices, and the risks they perceive during their daily commutes. According to Pratishtha Singh, public health researcher in the Injury Division at The George Institute for Global Health, walking emerged as the most common mode of school travel, particularly among boys. Many students also reported concerns about road crashes, speeding vehicles, robbery and harassment during their daily journeys. “Of those surveyed, 80 per cent of boys and 49 per cent of girls walk from school to home, often on busy roads and highways without adult supervision. Crossing major roads alone was also common, while many students who cycled also travelled independently on high-traffic roads,” Singh said. “Two-thirds of students cross major roads alone on their way to school, while walking remains the dominant mode of travel,” Singh added. The study found that adolescents faced a range of safety concerns during their daily journeys. Road crashes and speeding vehicles were among the most prominent concerns, while fears also extended to robbery and personal safety. Boys were more likely to report concerns about robbery, whereas girls more frequently reported fears of gendered harassment or eve teasing.
The findings highlight the need to make school journeys safer through a combination of people-centered infrastructure, enforcement, and more effective road safety education. “The school commute is an everyday part of adolescent life, but for many young people it also means navigating busy roads and making decisions about safety on their own. “Our findings show that rather than focusing only on individual behaviour, we need to create environments that make safe travel possible. Safer school journeys will require infrastructure, enforcement, and education that responds to the realities young people face every day,” Singh said. The findings suggest that regular exposure to traffic risks may make some hazards feel like a normal part of everyday life, while also highlighting important differences in how boys and girls experience safety during their journeys. Almost 60 per cent of those surveyed were found to have poor knowledge of road safety signs.
Another key finding was the limited understanding of common road safety signs. Nearly 60 per cent of students had poor knowledge of commonly encountered road safety signs, with particularly low recognition of signs relevant to school and pedestrian environments. The researchers suggest that conventional classroom-based road safety education may not be enough on its own. Interactive methods such as simulations, peer education and scenario-based learning could help adolescents better understand and retain road safety information. Jagnoor Jagnoor, Head of Injury Prevention at The George Institute for Global Health, said that the study also found gaps in the use of protective equipment. “Among students travelling as pillion riders on motorcycles, 39 pc of boys and 46 pc of girls reported never wearing a helmet. Seatbelt use among the smaller group travelling by car was also low and inconsistent,” Jagnoor said. “We cannot put the responsibility for road safety on adolescents alone. If children are walking and cycling to school, the roads and streets around them must be designed to protect them. “Pedestrian pathways, better lighting, traffic calming and protected crossings, along with effective enforcement, can make a real difference. We need to put people, particularly children and other vulnerable road users, at the centre of how we plan our cities,” she added.
