ABSTRACT
Volvo Chair Professor Emeritus, Transportation Research & Injury Prevention Programme,
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, India
Road safety efforts around the world focus a great deal of attention on public education and information campaigns. However, scientific studies done over the past few decades show that very often these programmes are not very successful in altering human behaviour. At times some educational programmes also have an effect that is opposite to what was intended. There is no evidence that public education and information campaigns when used alone have a significant effect in reducing road traffic injuries. This is especially true for programmes aimed at young children. In this chapter we discuss the reasons why public education programmes have not been very successful and a summary of the studies done over the pat fifty years that give us convincing evidence regarding this. The chapter includes guidelines for effective information and education programmes.
