Analysis of Children's Road Crashes in Hungary

Abstract

In the EU, more than 6,000 children died in road accidents between 2011 and 2020. Children are particularly vulnerable road users, and they need to be protected. This underlines the importance of the Safe System approach. The Safe System approach is a holistic view of road safety, which integrates the different elements of the traffic system and takes human vulnerability and fallibility into account. Children are still in the phase of developing the cognitive and physical skills necessary to travel safely in traffic. Because of their small size, children are less visible than other road users and less experienced; they can easily become innocent victims in collisions. Despite significant improvements in vehicle safety in recent years, almost half of all child road deaths occur while traveling in cars. Limited data is available on the correct use of child seats in cars across the EU, but studies have shown that misuse remains a significant problem. Several measures have been taken in recent years to make it safer for children to travel on the roads, but many more interventions are needed to further improve their safety. Our research aimed to examine the characteristics of child accidents in Hungary and to highlight the main road safety problems affecting children in Hungary.