NCD students to learn about road safety

By ANGELINE KARIUS
STUDENTS in the nation’s capital will learn more about road safety beginning next week after National Road Safety Council (NRSC) launched its road safety awareness plan for this year, yesterday.
According to NRSC executive director Frank Aku, school-aged children were more vulnerable to road accidents that were preventable.
He revealed that children should be educated more on how to use public roads when crossing or walking alongside pavements. 
“Safety is important especially when there is an increase in motor vehicle.
“The danger of anyone being killed along our roads is very high and we feel that our children are most vulnerable,” Aku said. 
He said according to the road safety discussion paper, last year, it was confirmed that about 50% of road accident reported deaths were passengers and 40% pedestrians.
Aku added that the 2007 accident data base showed that a total of 2,697 reported accidents occurred throughout the country.
“And 40% (1080) of those occurred in NCD with 800 deaths.
“However, 31% of pedestrian accident victims were children,” he added. 
The awareness programme is targeting school children (pedestrians) and passengers.
The awareness team will also conduct surveys to measure and determine the effectiveness of the programme with objectives to:
* Educate road users as, pedestrians, passengers and drivers on basic road safety rules and messages;
* Conduct surveys to determine and to measure the effectiveness of the road awareness programmes;
* Establish partnership with other stakeholders to address road
safety issues; 
* Carry out safety audits at school crossings particularly crossing signs and crossing paintings and markings; 
* Investigate and to monitor school crossings during peak hours and also to supply school crossing flags and road safety reflectors;
* Conduct mess distribution of road safety materials to schools and other road users which will guide them while using the public streets; and 
* Promote road safety through media industries.