Determinants of elementary school participation in the traffic education program

Abstract

This study examines the determinants of elementary school participation in a city-wide initiative aimed at improving children’s traffic safety skills through experiential learning. The analysis covers all elementary schools in the City of Brno (Czech Republic) and explores how institutional and environmental characteristics influence schools’ decisions to participate in the program. The research employs descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test of independence to identify relationships between program participation and factors such as school size, ownership, reputation, and surrounding traffic environment. The results highlight that school ownership and the involvement of management play a significant role, while the effect of the physical environment is less pronounced. Based on these findings, recommendations are formulated for municipal authorities, school management, and program coordinators to support the sustainable implementation and wider uptake of traffic education programs at the local level.This study examines the determinants of elementary school participation in a city-wide initiative aimed at improving children’s traffic safety skills through experiential learning. The analysis covers all elementary schools in the City of Brno (Czech Republic) and explores how institutional and environmental characteristics influence schools’ decisions to participate in the program. The research employs descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test of independence to identify relationships between program participation and factors such as school size, ownership, reputation, and surrounding traffic environment. The results highlight that school ownership and the involvement of management play a significant role, while the effect of the physical environment is less pronounced. Based on these findings, recommendations are formulated for municipal authorities, school management, and program coordinators to support the sustainable implementation and wider uptake of traffic education programs at the local level.