Safe School Zones
Children should not have to negotiate with traffic to get to school.
ZRST’s Safe School Zones programme supports safer journeys to and from school through school-route risk assessment, 30 km/h advocacy, safer crossings, traffic calming, signage, road safety education, parent engagement and practical partnerships with councils, schools, companies and communities.
Why this programme is urgent
The child road safety problem is visible in the data.
child casualties were recorded in Zambia’s 2025 road traffic accident report.
Source: Zambia Police annual road traffic accident report as reported by Zambia Monitor, Jan 2026.children died in 2025: 148 boys and 95 girls.
Source: Zambia Police annual report as reported by Zambia Monitor.road traffic accidents were recorded countrywide in 2025.
Source: Zambia Police annual report as reported by Zambia Monitor.is the school-zone radius used in Zambia’s NMT Strategy: all streets and greenways within 200 m of a school.
Source: Zambia Non-Motorised Transport Strategy.ZRST programme offer
What ZRST can deliver around a school
1. School-route risk assessment
Map the routes pupils use, observe crossing behaviour, identify speed conflict points, missing signs, drainage hazards, unsafe parking, informal bus stops and high-risk vehicle movements.
2. Safer crossing package
Support zebra crossing improvements, advance warning signs, 30 km/h signs, rumble strips, bollards, pedestrian refuge concepts and other low-cost traffic-calming measures with the responsible authority.
3. Education and community activation
Run pupil sessions, teacher briefings, parent talks, driver engagement, road safety clubs and community safety walks so infrastructure and behaviour move together.
Evidence-based design
A school zone is not just a sign. It is a managed low-speed environment.
Zambia’s NMT Strategy defines a school zone as all streets and greenways within a 200 m radius of a school. It also defines traffic calming as measures that reduce speed through vertical displacement, horizontal displacement, narrowing, material or colour changes at conflict points, or street closure.
Speed reduction
30 km/h school-zone advocacy, traffic calming and speed management near school gates and pupil crossing points.
Safe crossings
Clear crossing points, visibility, signs, markings, refuge areas and crossing supervision where appropriate.
Walking routes
Safe footpaths, clear shoulders, drainage protection, reduced conflict with vendors, parking and minibuses.
Monitoring
Before-and-after observations, speed checks where possible, pupil route surveys, photo logs and implementation reports.
Partnership package
Sponsor one school. Build a model for many.
| Component | What ZRST provides | Evidence output |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline review | Site visit, pupil route observation, risk notes, photo log and stakeholder mapping. | School-zone assessment brief. |
| School and community education | Pupil sessions, teacher briefing, parent/community awareness and practical crossing messages. | Attendance lists, photos and session report. |
| Infrastructure advocacy | Low-cost countermeasure proposal for the responsible council or road authority. | Priority treatment list and concept note. |
| Post-implementation review | Observe use of crossings, behaviour, visible risks and remaining gaps. | Before/after note and sponsor report. |