Interim findings from a University of Leeds-led research project, funded by The Road Safety Trust, have identified several areas of road-crossing that can present particular challenges for autistic children, while also highlighting potential differences in how children respond to different types of crossing infrastructure.
The Autistic Children Matter: Addressing Road Crossing Challenges from Multiple Perspectives projectis examining how autistic children approach road crossing, the challenges they face and why those challenges arise. It brings together evidence from autistic children, caregivers, independent travel trainers and traffic engineers, with the aim of improving pedestrian safety and supporting safer, more independent travel.
Interim findings from an analysis of 39 Independent Travel Training (ITT) records, provided by Leeds City Council and involving children aged 11–13 years, suggest that some road-crossing skills are considerably more difficult to develop than others.
Navigating around parked vehicles, looking over the shoulder for traffic, dealing with busy roads, and understanding where bike lanes are and how to navigate them emerged as the most challenging areas for autistic children.
The findings also indicate that road-crossing skills can take time to develop. The data suggest that many children may require around 10-12 training sessions to achieve the skills examined, although this estimate is based on observed trends and there is considerable variation between individuals. The researchers say this is significant because approaches to ITT can vary between councils, with some children potentially receiving training in only one session. Further work will examine whether ITT is standardised nationally and how practices differ between local authorities.
The project is led by Dr Yee Mun Lee, of the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds.
Dr Yee Mun Lee said: “Safe and independent travel is an important part of everyday life. Our findings suggest that both road infrastructure and the way road-crossing skills are taught can influence children's experiences.
“By better understanding these factors, we hope to identify practical ways to support safer and more independent travel for autistic children."
Different crossings may present different challenges
The interim findings also point to differences between crossing types. Of the three types of infrastructure examined – Pelican crossings, zebra crossings and traffic islands – the Pelican crossing appeared to be the most intuitive for the children to master; whereas zebra crossings cause the most confusion.
The research team stresses that this is an interim finding and further work is needed to understand why children may respond differently to different types of crossing. However, it could have implications for the design and provision of pedestrian infrastructure, particularly around SEND schools.
As navigating cycle lanes emerged as a challenge for some autistic children, the findings also highlight opportunities for further research. Depending on the factors underlying these challenges, it may be valuable to examine whether clearer or more consistent ways of indicating cycle lanes could help address some of the difficulties identified. The findings could also inform future consideration of crossing facilities and parking arrangements around schools.
Training needs to reflect individual challenges
The wider project highlights that autistic children do not all experience the road environment in the same way. Findings from 151 responses to a caregiver questionnaire identified three broad areas of challenge: core road-crossing competency, anxiety and avoidance, and use of road infrastructure:
Core road crossing competency included difficulties such as noticing hazards, judging traffic speed or distance, and applying learned safety rules in real-world settings.
Anxiety and avoidance reflected distress, hesitation, sensory overload, and behaviours involving avoidance of certain routes.
Use of road infrastructure competency involved difficulties using crossing infrastructure, traffic islands, and crossing buttons correctly.
Analysis showed that children with higher support needs faced greater road-crossing difficulty across all three dimensions. For example, earlier age at autism diagnosis was associated with greater ‘core road crossing competency’ difficulties.
Co-occurring anxiety was linked to greater ‘anxiety and avoidance’ difficulties, while co-occurring ADHD and learning disability were associated with more ‘use of road infrastructure competency’ difficulties.
Dr Yee Mun Lee added: "These findings highlight that road-crossing challenges are not the same for every autistic child.
“By understanding which skills are most difficult and how children learn them over time, we can better tailor training, improve support, and inform the design of more accessible road environments."
The next stage of the project will explore autistic children’s crossing behaviour, head movement, visual attention and subjective experience in different road-crossing infrastructure designs, conducted in the Highly Immersive Kinematic Experimental Research (HIKER) laboratory at the University of Leeds.
HIKER is a CAVE-based pedestrian simulator in which virtual environments were created based on real school-road locations in Leeds. By examining how autistic and typically developing adolescents respond to these designs, the study aims to provide evidence-based recommendations for inclusive school crossing infrastructure.
Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “Understanding how autistic children experience and navigate road crossings is an important step in making our roads safer for everyone.
“This research will provide valuable insights and help develop more effective interventions, improve road safety, and create environments that support greater confidence and independence.”