Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to understand if effective road safety education is being provided to students by embedding educational programmes within a curriculum framework. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative methodology was used to gain in-depth understanding of the health-promoting initiatives of Saudi Arabian universities and colleges in preventing risky driving behaviour among students. Interviews were used to collect data from 11 faculty members. Findings: Results suggest that educational programmes for changing the risky driving behaviour of students are still in their infancy. The findings raise questions about road safety and driving. While initiatives are being taken for promoting awareness within educational institutions on road safety, there is still a lack of awareness of traffic regulations and signs. Originality/value: Since there is a paucity of research on health promotions specifically related to aberrant and risky driving in the Kingdom, this paper adds value to educators and policy-makers.