Abstract

Background and purpose: Traffic accidents are a leading cause of injury and death among teenagers globally, with Southeast Asia being no exception. This review aims to evaluate whether road safety education can effectively reduce these incidents among adolescents in the region. This systematic review assesses the impact of road safety education on reducing teenage traffic accidents and injuries in Southeast Asia. The focus is on the effectiveness of programs, necessary cultural adaptations, practical training integration, implementation challenges, and long-term behavior modification among teenagers.

Search Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted utilizing a range of databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, to locate relevant studies that were published between 2013 and 2023. Literature extraction approach included using search keywords like traffic accidents, Southeast Asia, teenagers, and road safety education. The selection criteria included relevance to road safety education and teenage participants from Southeast Asia. The effectiveness of the programs was assessed by vote counting, tallying the number of studies showing positive, neutral, or negative impacts on teenage driving behavior.

Results: Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. Findings indicate that road safety education programs are crucial for reducing traffic accidents and injuries among teenagers in Southeast Asia. These programs are most effective when they include both theoretical and practical training, are culturally and contextually adapted to the local environment, and involve community and parental support. Challenges in implementation include resource limitations and ensuring long-term engagement and behavior change among teenagers.

Conclusions: Road safety education is a vital component in the strategy to reduce teenage traffic accidents and injuries in Southeast Asia. Policymakers should prioritize financing for road safety education, ensure cultural sensitivity, and include components of hands-on instruction. The long-term behavior change and program sustainability should be the main goals of initiatives meant to increase road safety. Promoting safe driving habits among teenagers requires community and parental involvement in instructional programs.

Keywords: Road Safety Education, Teenagers, Traffic Accidents and Injuries, Southeast Asia