Pilot study of a vehicular speed reduction intervention in a multicultural community

Background/Purpose: Pediatric pedestrian-hit-by-car (PHBC) incidents are a significant source of morbidity and mortality, particularly when children are struck at high vehicular speeds. Neighborhood Speed Watch programs have been effective in decreasing vehicular speeds; however, their effectiveness in diverse communities exhibiting low socioeconomic status and educational level may be limited. The Neighborhood Pedestrian Watch (NPW) program, a comprehensive approach including both in-person education of drivers and components of traditional speed watch programs, was developed to address this issue. Methods: A pilot study was implemented at two elementary schools in Homestead, Florida, a high-risk area for pediatric PHBC incidents. The two-part intervention consisted of (1) an informative warning letter sent to drivers identified to be speeding through a targeted school zone and (2) peer-to-peer driver safety education delivered by parent volunteers to other parents during school drop-off periods. All education and materials were provided in the community's primary languages. Pre- and post-intervention speed assessments within both study sites' school zones were conducted using radar detection. Results/Outcomes: Statistical analysis demonstrates a reduction in the average speed of vehicles in targeted school zones by 5.39 miles per hour (p < .001) from pre- to post-intervention. The overall number of speeding vehicles at both study sites decreased by 22%. Conclusions: NPW interventions can be effective in reducing vehicular speeds within school zones in a multi-cultural urban area of low socioeconomic status. When compared to traditional speed watch programs, results of the NPW intervention suggest a more effective approach to mitigating speeding problems in these communities.