A Study of Road Hazards Faced by Malaysian School Children Using HIRARC

Authors: Ahmad Rasdan Ismail, Noor Adilah Hamzah, Nor Kamilah Makhtar, Nurul Husna Che Hassan, Darliana Mohamad, Baba Md Deros

Affiliations: Universiti Malaysia Kelantan; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Published: Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2018, Special Volume (2): 10–17

Last reviewed: March 2026

Background and Context

Road traffic injuries among children represent a persistent public health challenge in Malaysia. According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, transport accidents have consistently ranked among the leading causes of death in children aged 0 to 14 years, accounting for approximately 3% of fatalities in this age group. The school environment and its immediate surroundings constitute a critical setting for child pedestrian safety, as children are routinely exposed to traffic hazards during arrival, dismissal, and transit periods.

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control — known by its acronym HIRARC — is a systematic methodology developed by Malaysia’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) for identifying workplace hazards, evaluating associated risks, and determining appropriate control measures. While originally designed for industrial and occupational settings, the HIRARC framework provides a structured and quantitative approach to risk assessment that can be adapted to other environments, including school zones. The methodology involves three sequential steps: identifying all potential hazards in a defined area, assessing the risk associated with each hazard by evaluating the likelihood of occurrence and the potential severity of harm, and determining control measures to eliminate or reduce the identified risks.

The risk matrix used in HIRARC assigns numerical values to both likelihood (ranging from “most unlikely” to “almost certain”) and severity (ranging from “negligible” to “catastrophic”). The product of these values yields a Risk Rating (RR) that categorises the overall risk as low, medium, high, or very high. This quantitative approach enables objective comparison of different hazards and prioritisation of risk reduction efforts — a particularly valuable capability when assessing multiple school locations with varying hazard profiles.

Study Design and Methodology

The study area comprised the East Coast state of Kelantan in Peninsular Malaysia, which was selected for its representative mix of urban, semi-urban, and rural school locations. Over 111 primary schools were randomly selected across the state for assessment. Field researchers conducted systematic observations of road conditions and traffic hazards in the immediate vicinity of each school compound, documenting factors including road type (main road, secondary road, or residential street), presence or absence of traffic calming measures (speed humps, speed breakers, rumble strips), availability of pedestrian crossing facilities (zebra crossings, pedestrian bridges, traffic lights), presence of signage (school zone warning signs, speed limit signs, children crossing signs), and traffic warden deployment during school arrival and dismissal periods.

Each identified hazard was then assessed using the DOSH HIRARC 2008 risk matrix to calculate a Risk Relative (RR) value based on the combined scores for likelihood and severity. The assessment incorporated both the physical characteristics of the road environment and observed traffic behaviour patterns, including vehicle speeds, driver compliance with school zone restrictions, and the presence of pedestrian-vehicle conflict points.

Key Results

The analysis identified six principal road hazards affecting school children, with main road proximity emerging as the dominant risk factor. Schools situated directly adjacent to main roads recorded the highest risk assessments, with RR values of 20 — classified as very high risk — primarily due to vehicles travelling at speeds inappropriate for school zone environments. Drivers on main roads frequently failed to reduce speed when approaching school areas, creating dangerous conditions for children crossing or walking along road shoulders.

Schools located in housing areas, while generally safer, still recorded elevated risk levels with RR values of 16, reflecting hazards associated with narrow streets, limited visibility at intersections, and on-street parking that obstructed sightlines. A related finding from complementary research across 111 schools in the Larut, Matang and Selama district of Perak documented that 35.5% of schools located beside main roads had speed breakers but lacked speed humps, 20.9% did not have children crossing signage, 82.7% lacked speed humps inside the school compound near vehicle parking areas, and 60% lacked directional arrow signs for vehicle flow in parking areas.

Risk Assessment Summary for School Road Hazards

Implications for School Zone Safety Policy

The findings from this study carry direct implications for school road safety interventions in Malaysia. The Malaysian Road Safety Plan 2014–2020 and its successor, the Road Safety Plan 2022–2030, both identify school zone safety as a priority area requiring multi-agency coordination between the Ministry of Education, the Road Safety Department (JKJR), local authorities, and the Royal Malaysia Police.

Engineering measures — including the installation of speed humps, rumble strips, raised pedestrian crossings, and school zone flashing light systems — represent the most reliable approach to reducing vehicle speeds in school vicinities, as they do not depend on voluntary driver compliance. The study’s finding that a substantial proportion of schools lacked basic traffic calming infrastructure suggests significant scope for targeted infrastructure investment. Enforcement measures, including automated speed cameras in school zones and enhanced police presence during peak school traffic periods, provide complementary deterrence. Education measures, encompassing road safety curricula for students, parent awareness campaigns, and driver education programmes, address the behavioural dimension of the problem.

The HIRARC methodology demonstrated in this study offers a practical, replicable tool for school administrators and local authorities to conduct their own road safety assessments. By providing a standardised framework for hazard identification and risk ranking, it enables evidence-based prioritisation of safety improvements across multiple school sites — ensuring that resources are directed to the locations where the risk to children is greatest.

Limitations

The study was conducted in Kelantan, an East Coast state with road infrastructure and traffic patterns that may differ from more urbanised states in the Klang Valley or southern Peninsular Malaysia. The observational methodology captures conditions at the time of assessment and may not reflect seasonal or temporal variations in traffic patterns. The HIRARC risk matrix, while providing a structured approach, involves subjective elements in the assignment of likelihood and severity scores. The study focused on hazards outside the school compound and did not assess intra-school traffic management, pedestrian behaviour of children, or the effectiveness of existing safety measures.