Overview
Traffic Snake Game Network (TSG Network) establishes an effective EU-wide and long-term support network to replicate, transfer and expand the uptake of the Traffic Snake Game as a successful proven tool for changing the travel behaviour of primary school children (age 6-12) and their parents. TSG Network does this by shifting journeys undertaken by car to more sustainable modes such as walking, cycling, public transport, park and walk and car sharing. As such TSG Network actively stimulates the demand for sustainable transport concerning home-school trips, resulting in an increase of low-carbon transport, a more sustainable mobility culture and a reduction of energy consumption and emissions.
Once the school is ready to start, a two week period needs to be identified in the school year for running the campaign. This could be any period of the schools choice but we highly recommend schools incorporate European Mobility Week. During the two weeks, children put dots on a banner every time they walk, cycle, use public transport or carpool to school. Each school sets its own target at the beginning of the campaign period based on a pre-measurement. The goal is to fill the Traffic Snake banner with dots by the end of the two weeks. Each day, a hands up survey is carried out to monitor progress on the school target. Children receive a reward when they reach key points on the banner. Rewards might include: no homework, extra 15 minutes playtime or something similar. When the children reach the head of the snake, they will receive an even bigger reward e.g; a new bicycle shed, a walking or cycling tour or any reward that the school can organise. Three weeks after the game is played, all hands up data from the measurements before, during and after the campaign is collected and analysed.
The campaign set consists of:
- manual for teachers;
- banner (3,5 meter x 1 meter);
- stickers and dots;
- letter for parents;
- posters;
- stickers, as reward for the children.
Results
Current results are:
- A professional, international and sustainable Traffic Snake Network with 20 National Focal Points throughout 19 European member states.
- All NFP's were trained at EU-regional workshops to be able to run the campaign in their country.
- Traffic Snake Game campaign sets were produced for all countries, as well as an international website and webtool to support it .
- Traffic Snake Game campaign is active in classic version and/or TSG 2.0 version in 19 EU countries.
- Campaign guidelines, dissemination and training materials and policy support tools available in languages matching the represented countries.
- National events reached so far at least 2.723 stakeholders (e.g. city representatives, ngo’s, principals).
- Campaign so far included +870 active schools (campaign year 1 finished + campaign year 2 ongoing).
Campaign year 1/school year 2014-2015 (=beginning September 2014)
- In School Year 2014-2015, TSG took place in 18 countries: 48.383 pupils, 325 schools, in 169 cities played the game.
- The EU savings during the first year of the campaign reached 765.361 kilometers of car trips and 123 tons of CO2.
- The amount of sustainable trips went from 62% before the campaign to 82% during the campaign. Three weeks after the campaign this figure was 79%, showing a higher number of sustainable trips compared to the base level.
Campaign year 2/school year 2015-2016 (=beginning September 2014) is currently ongoing
- During Autumn 2015 campaign we had 221 participating schools, 2.349 participating classes, 35.761 participating pupils.
- Interim results indicate 187.047 kilometers saved during the campaign weeks + 259.906 kilometers saved after the campaign (3 week period)
- Spring 2016 campaign runs in May-June 2016 (depending on the country).
Strategy targets
Project targets are:
- A professional, international and sustainable network with at least 19 trained National Focal Points throughout EU member states.
- At least 3 European cities in each participating country to actively join and support the Traffic Snake Game for schools in their area.
- At least 1140 schools across the participating cities to realise at least 15% increase of sustainable trips and matching CO2 reduction (min. average of 60 active schools/country over the course of 3 years is targeted).
- Traffic Snake Game campaign version 2.0 including a shift from old ‘paper’ campaign to new ‘digital’ campaign tools.
- Reduction of 872.100 km/year in car trips in favour of more sustainable modes.