Analysis of the environmental factors contributing to road traffic accidents involving school-aged pedestrian children in urban Algerian settings

Abstract

Despite efforts by the Algerian government and civil society to improve road safety, traffic accidents remain a significant issue, particularly affecting children and youth. Data from the National Delegation for Road Safety (NDSR) reveals that this demographic is especially vulnerable, with 371 child fatalities recorded during the 2020-2021 school year. This study evaluated road safety around twelve primary schools in Oued El Abtal district, Mascara province, and aimed to identify effective interventions through a participatory approach involving 1,074 students. An anonymous questionnaire was used to capture students' perceptions of road risks, and the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics V27. Chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests were applied to examine associations between gender and variables like travel mode, school accompaniment, student behavior, and crossing locations. The sample was balanced by gender, consisting of 50.9% boys and 49.1% girls. Walking was the predominant travel mode (75.2%; n=808). Key risk factors included inadequate infrastructure (3.2%), insufficient signage (11.7%), sidewalk obstructions (5.1%), dangerous driving behaviors (12.2%, with speeding at 29.5%), heavy traffic (16.2%), and poor urban planning (e.g., lack of speed bumps and low visibility). These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions to improve the safety of school commutes. This research identifies critical risk factors in school travel, providing a foundation for developing strategies aimed at enhancing road safety for children in Algeria.