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CHAPTER FOUR Road Safety Needs
4.1 Additional Support Needs and Road
Safety
There is little quantifiable evidence available which
demonstrates any linkage between children having Additional
Support Needs and higher risk of involvement in road
related accidents. The difficulties of accurately gauging
the number of children and young people with Additional
Support Needs have been highlighted in previous sections,
and this lack of baseline information makes it difficult to
assess prevalence of involvement in road accidents. In
addition, any studies attempting to correlate road
accidents and additional support needs have had to rely on
small scale samples, as information regarding disability or
support needs is not routinely collected as part of
national road accident statistics. These factors combine to
make it very difficult to assess the relationship between
children with Additional Support Needs and road safety
risk. However, a small number of studies have been
undertaken in Great Britain and abroad, and their findings
are explored below.
4.1.1 Learning difficulties
The relationship between learning difficulties and road
safety risk for children in Scotland is unquantifiable at
present, and no research has been undertaken into this
issue in Scotland. Two studies have been undertaken in
Great Britain, one of which found no increased risk of road
accident among those with learning difficulties
13 and one more recent survey which found children with
learning difficulties were disproportionately represented
among children involved in road accidents as pedestrians
14. These studies were both based on small samples and,
as such, the results are not statistically significant.
However, one study undertaken in California
15 indicated that people with learning disabilities
were almost three times (2.8) more likely to be killed in a
pedestrian accident than others. The level of involvement
in non fatal accidents was not assessed.
There has been more research into the type of additional
risk which children with learning difficulties may face
than quantification of the level of risk which they face.
For example, research undertaken in Great Britain
16 explored the skills which young people with learning
difficulties demonstrated in relation to route finding and
personal safety. This research identified that while most
individuals in the study had the necessary road safety
knowledge, they did not transfer this knowledge into road
safety awareness and skills.
4.1.2 Attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder
While no studies have been found which attempt to link
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder to road safety
risks among children in Great Britain , research has
identified a link between the symptoms of this disorder and
increased risk. Research commissioned by the Department for
Transport
17 has indicated that there appears to be a linkage
between road accidents and 'problem behaviour' in children
- including impulsiveness and hyperactivity. The study
concluded that there were
"clear relationships" between problem behaviour
and traffic related accidents.
In addition, a further study commissioned by the
Department for Transport identified a number of research
studies undertaken in the United States, Canada and Germany
which explored road safety risk and
ADHD. Four of the five studies found
linkages between hyperactivity and involvement in road
accidents, with pedestrian, cycling and motor accidents all
found to be higher among those with
ADHD18.
4.1.3 Autism
Little research has been undertaken regarding the
implications which autism has on mobility and road safety
risk. However, in Sweden the transport issues affecting
children with autistic spectrum disorders were explored
through a research study involving consultation with
parents and professionals throughout the country
19. This study focused on car and bus travel, and
identified safety concerns, in that many children wore
their seatbelts incorrectly when travelling to school. In
addition, the study identified that many children faced
barriers travelling to school, due to concerns about the
irregularity of school bus travel, with unknown drivers and
varying routes to school.
The issues regarding mobility, road safety and autistic
spectrum disorders are gaining prominence in Great Britain,
with government guidance on disability stating, that while
children with autistic spectrum disorders are unlikely to
have significant problems walking
"the more severely affected will require an adult to
accompany them if out, as they are likely to put themselves
at risk,
e.g. in relation to traffic, to strangers and
to getting lost." In addition, the guidance states
that
"with some autistic children, it is impossible to use
public transport because of the child's fears and
consequent resistance and tantrums"20.
Furthermore, the National Autistic Society (
NAS) provides a great deal of
information regarding the types of mobility and safety
risks which people with autism can face. Risky behaviours
identified by the
NAS include, demonstrating extreme
resistance to change, anxiety and stress if deviating from
a planned schedule, characteristic lack of awareness of
danger, obsessive behaviour and clumsiness. Overall, the
NAS suggests that many people with an
Autism Spectrum Disorder are often not able to make a safe
judgement and then act on it, due to poor communication and
social skills
21.
4.2 Study Findings
A wide range of parents, schools, Road Safety Officers,
Special Needs Advisors and other relevant individuals were
consulted regarding the particular road safety needs of
children with mild to moderate learning difficulties. All
those consulted stressed that differing needs can result in
differing road safety risks, and that it is crucial not to
generalise. However, everyone agreed that children with
mild to moderate learning difficulties did face additional
risks.
Generally, consultees felt that the additional risks
faced by children with mild to moderate learning
difficulties fell into four main categories. Firstly, many
mentioned that impulsivity, rage, distraction, loss of
concentration and lack of awareness of danger can all lead
to sudden movements with no regard to the surrounding
environment. This was particularly common for children with
ADHD, but also experienced by others
with autism or other learning difficulties. This caused
particular difficulties for parents when walking with their
children, but problems were also experienced in the car
with children refusing to put on seatbelts or trying to
jump out of the car.
Secondly, some children were felt to need routine,
predictability and time to take decisions, meaning that the
unpredictable road environment could be a challenging and
complex place. Parents mentioned anecdotes of their
children setting out for school alone and having to turn
back due to a small difference in the environment - for
example, broken traffic lights. This need for routine was a
particular difficulty for children within the autistic
spectrum, and many felt that this could be overcome by
travelling by car rather than walking - as this was seen as
offering more regularity and control over the
environment.
Thirdly, many consultees highlighted the difficulty
which children often experience in putting the theory of
road safety into practice. This was felt to be universal to
all children, but a particular difficulty for those with
Additional Support Needs. Parents stressed that children
can be distracted and forget about the need for safety, or
not understand that messages learned in the classroom apply
to the outside world. In particular, parents of children
with autistic spectrum disorders stated the difficulty of
transferring theory into practice.
Finally, a number of consultees mentioned specific
difficulties experienced by some children in relation to
balance, spatial awareness, judging speed and
co-ordination. These difficulties could lead to problems in
children making decisions about when to cross the road, and
physically crossing the road without endangering
themselves.
Overall, parents felt that road safety was a very
important issue for children with mild to moderate learning
difficulties -
"it's a big issue… it makes your world much
smaller". Road safety awareness was seen as a key
skill which could lead to independence and, therefore, an
area where parents were keen to see schools and other
organisations focus their attention.
4.3 Summary
- Children with 'Additional Support Needs' have been
identified as potentially having higher risk of
involvement in a road accident
- A small number of research studies have suggested
that certain groups of children with Additional Support
Needs do appear to be at higher risk
- Some small scale studies found children with
learning difficulties to be disproportionately
represented in road accidents, and others have linked
particular behaviours such as hyperactivity to road
risk
- Consultation undertaken through this study
identified that parents, schools and other stakeholders
believe that children with mild to moderate learning
difficulties are at higher risk of involvement in a
road accident
- Consultees believed that the additional risks faced
by children with mild to moderate learning difficulties
varied significantly among individuals, and it is
important not to generalise about these risks
- There were four key areas where consultees believed
children with mild to moderate learning difficulties
could face additional road safety risks
- due to lack of awareness of
surroundings and concepts of danger
- due to inability to cope with
change
- due to difficulties putting theory
into practice
- due to specific difficulties with
co-ordination, balance and spatial awareness
- Overall, those consulted believed that road safety
was a major issue for children with mild to moderate
learning difficulties, and that effective road safety
education was crucial to promoting their
independence
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