Disabled face danger on the roads

National, Normal
Source:

The National, Tuesday 28th March 2013

 PEOPLE living with disabilities face a high risk of getting involved in road accidents, the deputy director of National Road Safety Council, Wilson Wariaka said.

Speaking on safety issues at the Road Development in PNG and Guidelines Development workshop in Port Moresby recently, Wariaka said people living with disabilities were vulnerable to road accidents because of the lack of road signs.  

He said from data collected between 2006 and 2007, 

strongly believed that people with disabilities are among the many killed in road accidents. 

He added that accidents occurred because there is lack of education on road safety and because drivers think that roads are only for vehicles.

“Pedestrian behaviour and lack of education to children also contribute to road accidents. 

“Last year we signed an memorandum of understanding with the Education Department where we produced a teacher’s resource book for classroom learning on road safety,” he said. 

ADP chair person Ipul Powaseu thanked the stakeholders and partners for their support in carrying out this project. 

She said it has been a long time that people living with disabilities’ voices had not been heard.

Powaseu said the disabled wanted to be heard by champions in specific strategic government bodies.

“It was a long walk for us but we would like to thank the stakeholder and partners in making this walk an eye opener for us,” she said.