Making in‐class skills training more effective: The scope for interactive videos to complement the delivery of practical pedestrian training

Abstract

AbstractSkills and awareness of young pedestrians can be improved with on‐street practical pedestrian training, often delivered in schools in the UK by local authorities with the intention of improving road safety. This training is often supplemented by in‐class paper‐based worksheet activities that are seen to be less effective than practical training in that they focus on knowledge acquisition rather than directly improving the correct application of safe pedestrian skills at the roadside. Previous research indicates that interactive video tools have the potential to develop procedural skills while offering an engaging road safety educational experience, which could positively impact on road crossing behaviour.In this paper, the design and development of a hazard‐identification interactive road safety training video targeting child road crossing skills is presented. The interactive video was shown to be an engaging training resource for 6‐ to 7‐year‐old children. The tool's scope for improving pedestrians' roadside skills is considered along with the wider implications for interactive video to aid safety training in other areas.