Initiative details
In the Pasavček project, the focus lies on rule learning that contributes to road safety (correct use of child restraint systems and seatbelt use, but consequently also rules for pedestrians, passengers, etc., depending on the age of the children and the learning objectives of the teachers). The project initially started as part of the international EUCHIRES project and is thanks to its success still active today.
Children and adolescents are among the most frequently involved road users in road traffic accidents and often suffer the most severe consequences, also as passengers in vehicles. Consistently ensuring that children are properly buckled up while driving could significantly reduce this risk.
Children and adolescents are among the most frequently involved road users in road traffic accidents and often suffer the most severe consequences, also as passengers in vehicles. Consistently ensuring that children are properly buckled up while driving could significantly reduce this risk.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Children 0-16
Parents
Educational staff
Topic
Create awareness
Education in school or in community organizations
Knowledge building and sharing
Organisation details
Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency
Local Public authority
Slovenia
Ljubljana
Contact name
Saša Kuhar
Telephone number
0038614788957
sasa.kuhar@avp-rs.si
Website link
Project activities
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
We encourage each group/class to connect with representatives of the municipal road safety council and the local police.
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
Each school year, around 1,500 groups (from schools and kindergartens, involving more than 28,000 children) participate in the project. Teachers and preschool educators have the autonomy to choose how to present the content to their children. The Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency provides them with professional support, information, preventive materials, and training.
Activities that are done within the project:
- Project-based work in kindergartens and schools, involving a large number of preschool educators, teachers, children, and their parents, who carry out diverse activities throughout the school year and place greater emphasis on the safe transportation of children.
- A media campaign complemented by a dedicated media action taking place once a year.
- Numerous Pasavček events and preventive activities held throughout the year in schools, kindergartens, municipalities, fairs, shopping centres, and other public events.
- Police enforcement of seat belt and child safety seat use, carried out as part of the “Seat Belt” campaign.
- Monitoring of seat belt and child safety seat use through objective observation on different types of roads across Slovenia.
A total of almost 270,000 children and 22,500 teachers and preschool educators have actively participated in the project, with at least around 250,000 parents reached indirectly.
Activities that are done within the project:
- Project-based work in kindergartens and schools, involving a large number of preschool educators, teachers, children, and their parents, who carry out diverse activities throughout the school year and place greater emphasis on the safe transportation of children.
- A media campaign complemented by a dedicated media action taking place once a year.
- Numerous Pasavček events and preventive activities held throughout the year in schools, kindergartens, municipalities, fairs, shopping centres, and other public events.
- Police enforcement of seat belt and child safety seat use, carried out as part of the “Seat Belt” campaign.
- Monitoring of seat belt and child safety seat use through objective observation on different types of roads across Slovenia.
A total of almost 270,000 children and 22,500 teachers and preschool educators have actively participated in the project, with at least around 250,000 parents reached indirectly.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
The project benefits from a strong tradition, with teachers already familiar with its content. It was well received by educational organizations, which is why so many children, educational staff and parents have participated in the project.
The current challenge is to establish a new system for project registrations because the amount of applications is too overwhelming to do them manually.
The current challenge is to establish a new system for project registrations because the amount of applications is too overwhelming to do them manually.
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
In the past three years, we have recorded the highest number of applications and it is an extremely popular project. For evaluation purposes, observations of actual seat belt use are carried out in traffic on different types of roads and at various times. Participating groups/classes submit a feedback form each year, and news about the project is posted on social media and on the website.
What has been the effect of the activities?
Specifically, the rate of children being fastened increased from 53.7% before the Pasavček project began in 2005 to an average of 94% in 2018. In the past three years, we have recorded the highest number of applications. In the 2024/2025 school year, the Pasavček project recorded a record number of participating groups – more than 1,550 – which is more than 28,000 children that take part in the project, which has an educational impact, with children adopting and remembering its slogan in the long term, e.g. “Red je vedno pas pripet.” (Order is when the seatbelt is fastened). There is also a song that children sing with this slogan.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
Reports from teachers show that, during the project, they achieve a higher – or even 100% – rate of children being fastened on the way to school or kindergarten. Without running the project, we have seen that the results deteriorate, as each school year brings new children and different parents who have not yet received Pasavček’s safety messages. And if they don't receive the messages, the use of safe belt for children goes down.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
On Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency's website, on our social media and on SPV portal, which is an internal portal for all municipal road safety councils.
Supporting materials
