Evacuation Intentions of Parents in an Urban Radiological Emergency

As part of the efforts to model the evacuation behaviour of urban residents in the event of a day-time radiological emergency, the present study determines and interprets the extent to which parents of school children rely upon school authorities in evacuating their children away from a danger zone. Two-thirds of parents surveyed in this study distrust organised evacuation and would retrieve their children personally. These parents are usually more mobile. recognising the benefits of nuclear power in general, but at the same time are highly aware of its potential risk to the public. The extent of distrust exceeds similar findings elsewhere. General implications for urban evacuation are discussed, and recommendations for urgent evacuation preparedness of schools are put forward.