Good practice submission

The project aims are reached, when:- effective, individual training methods,which consider the different road safety abilities and needs of children, and which integrate the risk competence and social competence of road safety, could be developed;- these new training methods could be implemented in practical biycle trainings and in traffic education methods for schools in general. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the new training methods, integrating risk and social competence, within the bicycle training course, indicators will be defined, that compare the cycling behaviour in two different groups:The control group is trained with traditional aspects of road safety (learning rules and norms in traffic) and will be observed during the training. After approx. 2 months (after the bicyle exam for children, carried out by the police) another observation of the children will be done to exclude influences like age, training with parents, learning with the teacher in order to make a comparison with the experimental group. The experimental group is trained with new methods (integration of risk competence, individual abilities and needs, social aspects of road safety) and will be also observed during the training and approx. 2 months later (after the bicylce exam). The differences between control and experimental group will be evaluated and will show if the new methods are effective.Moreover, a survey of teachers will be done as well as qualitative interviews with bicycle trainers, the school police and school bus drivers will be carried out to get information of experts concerning the risk behaviour of children. The action is successful if the integration of new training methods have positive impact on cycling and road safety behaviour of children.

The results will be disseminated through the final report that will be published for the Austrian Ministry of Transport. Moreover, road safety recommendations, integrating the new competences for traffic education, will be developed for parents and schools and disseminated through attractive brochures nationwide in Austrian schools.