PhD about using gamified e-learning to improve road safety education for adolescents in both developed and developing countries
Imran Nawaz's PhD research investigated how gamified digital education can enhance adolescent road safety. Road traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death for adolescents worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where formal road safety education is often inadequate or absent. Therefore, a gamified online learning platform was developed and evaluated to strengthen adolescents’ competencies.
This PhD research investigated how gamified digital education can enhance adolescent road safety. Road traffic accidents are among the leading causes of death for adolescents worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where formal road safety education is often inadequate or absent.
To address this issue, a gamified online learning platform - Route 2 School (R2S) - was developed and evaluated. The platform aimed to strengthen adolescents’ competencies in four key domains: traffic knowledge, situation awareness, risk detection, and risk management.
The study was implemented in both Belgium and Pakistan, facilitating a comparative analysis between developed and developing country settings. A mixed-methods approach was used to assess changes in knowledge, perception, and behavior among adolescents before and after engaging with the platform.
In Pakistan, the intervention targeted adolescent motorcyclists , identified as a particularly high-risk group. Statistically significant improvements were observed in their traffic knowledge, risk detection, and risk management abilities. In Belgium, R2S was integrated into the school curriculum, and results demonstrated its effectiveness in promoting safer attitudes and behaviors among students.
Feedback from stakeholders - especially teachers and parents in Pakistan - revealed dissatisfaction with traditional road safety education and strong support for interactive, technology-driven alternatives such as R2S.
The findings underscore the potential of culturally and contextually adapted gamified e-learning platforms to improve road safety outcomes among adolescents. The dissertation concludes with policy recommendations that advocate for institutional backing, teacher training, and investment in technology to support the global scaling of such educational innovations.
Want to know more about the PhD research of Imran Nawaz?
On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. Mr. Imran Nawaz will defend his PhD thesis at Hasselt University. His defence is open to the public and will take place in ceremoniezaal Refugiehuis, Campus Hasselt. It is also possible to attend this defence online.
Who is Imran Nawaz?
Mr. Imran Nawaz is 34 years old and lives in Hasselt, Belgium. He is married and passionate about cricket, football, badminton and gym. Imran enjoys making videos for his YouTube channel, loves travelling and cook Chicken Biryani (Pakistani dishes).
Imran Nawaz was born on June 02, 1991, in Pakistan. He is an urban planner and transportation researcher committed to shaping safer and more sustainable urban environments. He earned his Bachelor's in City and Regional Planning from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, in 2014. Following graduation, he gained extensive practical experience working as a Town Planner and GIS Expert with leading urban planning consultancies in Pakistan, including Masters Consulting Engineers and Osmani & Company (Pvt) Ltd. During this time, he contributed to major infrastructure and urban development projects such as the Metro Bus feasibility studies and master planning of housing schemes and transport corridors.
In 2017, he was awarded a prestigious scholarship by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan to pursue his Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Technology Malaysia, which he completed in 2019. Building on this foundation, he later received an HEC scholarship to continue his academic journey as a PhD candidate in Transportation Sciences at Hasselt University, Belgium.
His doctoral research centres on improving road safety education through gamification, focusing on adolescent motorcyclists and secondary school students. He has published multiple research papers and actively contributes to ongoing discussions on sustainable urban mobility and traffic safety education.