Evalution of two bicycle programs for primary school children in the ACT: Bike Ed and the Traffic Centre Road Safety Package

Evaluations of two ACT bicycle safety education programs for primary school children, Bike Ed and the Traffic Centre Road Safety Package (TCRSP), were undertaken in 2006. The ACT Bike Ed program is based on the National Bike Ed program, which consists of seven modules aimed at providing riding experiences in different environments, and is delivered in schools by Pedal Power ACT Incorporated. The TCRSP uses the Belconnen Traffic Centre and involves children riding bicycles and acting as pedestrians in a mock road environment. A content evaluation was undertaken on the programs using the Austroads Road Safety Education Check List and a Bicycle Program Check List. The latter Check List was developed during the first stage of the project. Observations of the bicycle programs ?in action? in both the classroom and the playground for ACT Bike Ed, or in the case of the TCRSP, at the Belconnen Traffic Centre, were undertaken. A process evaluation which involved face-to-face interviews with teachers, program developers, managers and trainers was also undertaken. The evaluations identified a number of positive and negative aspects of both programs and many recommendations for improvements were provided. The ACT Bike Ed program was found to be a worthwhile program that should continue. It will benefit from a number of improvements, particularly from the provision of on- road practical training. Unfortunately, research shows that traffic centres have little to offer children in the development of bicycle and related road safety skills, and hence it is recommended that the TCRSP be discontinued. However, there may be other reasons to provide the program and if so the suggested improvements to this program should be implemented.