O3: Children are Not Small Adults! What should be done to Better Protect Them?

Road Traffic injuries are known as the most prevalent childhood injury and besides being the greatest cause of child mortality, place an extraordinary burden on health care system. Children’s limitation in cognitive, physical and social development makes them more vulnerable in road traffic injuries than adults. Their small structure cause challenges to see and be seen and their risk taking behavior and false braveness expose them to road traffic injuries. Keeping children safe as the theme of the 3rd global UN road safety week and another step in the decade of action on road safety focusing on safe road users as one of the fifth pillars of the decade, is an opportunity to address children as one of the vulnerable groups. This study will draw attention to the urgent need to better protect children on roads and explain road safety measures in place within the health sector and highlights what’s needed to improve road safety for everyone as road safety for children seems equal to road safety for everyone.