Road Safety Evaluation Victoria
This research entailed a series of surveys conducted with school representatives to support the evaluation of a program supporting the improvement of road safety education in schools.
Client Background:
This research was conducted by Wallis Social Research on behalf of the Road Safety Education Victorian (RSEV) partnership. The RSEV partnership is a collaboration between the Victorian Government Road Safety Partners, including the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), Public Transport Victoria (PTV), and Victoria Police (VicPol). This multi-agency partnership is a collaborative effort to improve road safety education in Victorian schools.
Objectives:
The primary objective of the research was to gain insight into how Victorian schools and early childhood services are presently addressing road safety and road safety education. It serves as a foundational assessment of the current state of road safety knowledge and practices within service communities and lays the groundwork for periodic evaluations. The intention is to periodically reassess the road safety landscape in and around service every three years.
Methodology:
This research was completed with primary, secondary and specialist schools, as well as early childhood services. The surveys were conducted across four phases, one for each school sector. Each phase was conducted with the particular needs of each sector considered, with collaboration between the project team and Subject Matter Experts.
The surveys used a push-to-web approach, with a hard copy letter inviting schools/services to participate. Schools/services could complete the survey by completing and returning the hard-copy survey included in the letter or through the online survey link. CATI was used to remind services about the survey and to answer any questions regarding the research.
Challenges:
A collaborative approach to the research design was employed to ensure that appropriate methods were used at each phase. This included ethical review by the government and Catholic school sectors, Subject Matter Experts draw from across the Road Safety Partnership and other stakeholders, and cognitive testing of the questionnaires with school representatives.
Results:
The outcomes of this research were used to inform the evaluation of the Road Safety Education Victoria’s Whole of School Community Model Road Safety Education Package. This package will offer resources and programs to schools and early childhood services, designed to support them in enhancing road safety education, as well as road safety around their school or service.