Closing ceremony. Image credit: EA991
From 12-16 February 2024, 26 members from Botswana’s District Road Safety Committees and National Road Audit Committee attended training on Star Rating for Schools (SR4S) and School Area Road Safety Assessments and Improvements (SARSAI) methodologies. The training was hosted by Emergency Assist 991 (EA991) in collaboration with International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), and Society of Road Safety Ambassadors (SORSA) in Gaborone, Botswana. Spanning five days, the training aimed to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to assess road safety risks around school zones using SR4S and SARSAI.
Day one commenced with opening remarks by Chiseki Chiseki, EA991 Chief Executive Officer followed by Simon Modisaemang, EA991 Executive Director who both set the tone for the agenda ahead, followed by tablet handovers to participants to support collecting data in the field.
Over the course of the programme, participants engaged in a comprehensive curriculum led by road safety experts from iRAP and SARSAI. Nathalie Chiavassa, iRAP Safer Journeys Lead for Africa introduced important elements on how to conduct school assessments with SR4S and facilitated practical sessions to help participants delve into coding road attributes using SR4S coding guide. Representatives from SORSA also led sessions on identifying schools at risk, conducting assessments, and implementing improvement measures with SARSAI methodology.
Tablet handovers to all participants and SR4SIntroduction by iRAP Safer Journeys Lead for Africa. Image credit: EA991
The programme also provided participants with opportunities to gain hands-on experience through site visits to schools in Gaborone, where participants applied their newfound knowledge to assess road attributes using tablets given in day one. This was followed by data analysis and peer reviews sessions to facilitate learning and collaboration among participants, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in road safety initiatives.
Conducting school assessment at Morula Primary School. Image credit: EA991
The final day of the programme focused on group work and presentations, allowing participants to share their experiences and formulate assessment plans for their own regions. The programme concluded with closing remarks from the Executive Director – EA991, acknowledging the dedication of participants and the collective effort towards enhancing road safety nationally and globally.
Using the knowledge and skills gained from the training, the members of District Road Safety Committees will develop assessment plans and carry out assessments around schools using SR4S and SARSAI tools for their respective regions, contributing to improving school road safety for children across Botswana.
Participants were actively engaged in data analysis and peer reviews sessions after school visits. Image credit: iRAP
Emergency Assist 991 would like to thank the following:
- Society of Road Safety Ambassadors
- Department of Road Transport Services (Lead Agency for Road Safety)
- District Road Safety Committees
- National Road Audit Committee
- iRAP
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