416 My safety is my right - a joint initiative of policy advocacy for safe and lower speed limits of 25 kmh around school zones

Background Every day 600 children in the world and 22 in India are dying in the preventable road crashes. In India 30971 road crashes happened around schools, colleges and educational institutes resulting in 12296 deaths and 29061 injuries in 2022. To enhance the safety of school children, we carried out a project Under Alliance Incubator Program, to bring change in policy of 25 KMH speed law in two states of India, building on the notification of Union Government of India ,connecting with UN initiative of StreetsForLife and Love30. Objective To do a policy advocacy for integration, implementation and enforcement of lower and safe speed limits 25 KMH around schools in the law by involving the decision makers and enforcement agencies. Program Description and Strategies An analysis of UN Global Goals , Global Plan for Road Safety,Safe Systems Approach and other global evidences of lower speeds and its success was carried out. A unique approach of connecting Road Safety as a Right of Children by roping in The Commission for Child Rights Protection was adapted to describe the seriousness of the issue ,its consequences and benefits of safe and lower speeds securing school zones and school journeys . Based on research and proven evidences 93 presentation are submitted to policy makers of National ,Regional and Local level and 37 roundtables are conducted with top to lower level officials . A comprehensive campaign to demand MySafetyisMyRight has been launched where children themselves presented memorandum to decision makers. Outcome The state governments revised the official policy of speed limits and included exclusive category of speed limit 25 KMH around schools for each category of vehicles and road . Implication The project has already been replicable in four other states of the country and gazette notifications of lowering the speed limits 25 KMH nearby schools has been issued. It is learned that state governments are keen to enhance safety around schools if the matter is presented comprehensively. Conclusion The overall safety of 95,91,997 (approximately 10 millions) school children , 99,850 (approximately one hundred thousand ) schools and 9,85,356 (approximately 1 Million) teachers in the two states, is enhanced.