Informal parental traffic education and children's bicycling behaviour

The aim of this study was to analyze the relation between traffic intensity and traffic hazards in the local traffic environment, the parents' view of their child's traffic situation and the actions taken by the parents to cope with these hazards. 58 parents were interviewed. The traffic intensity in the vicinity of the home was estimated. 19% of the parents lived in inner city areas, 62% in suburbs and 19% in the countryside. Suburban children had a safe traffic environment. Inner city- and countryside children predominately lived in high-intensity traffic environment. Inner city- and suburb children frequently used the bike, in inner city as a tool for play and in the suburbs mainly as a means of transport. Countryside children seldom used their bicycle. In inner city areas carefulness in traffic and in the other two independence was emphasized. Only 16% reported cooperation between home and school on traffic matters. Traffic accidents were concentrated to children living in suburbs (p<0.01). 81% of accidents were reported by parents having independence as a goal for traffic training (p<0.01). The results underline that traffic accident risk is strongly contingent on the local traffic environment and informal parenteral education in traffic safety.