Road Safety Guidelines for the Asian and Pacific Region(by Asian Development Bank)Part 1

Thursday, January 14, 2010

ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION OF CHILDREN
On average,20 percent of all people killed in traffic accidents in developing countries are aged under 15.This is twice as high as in the developed world.

----Human error plays a large part in road accidents,being a contributory factor in about 95 percent of accidents.

----Teaching safety skills to children can provide life long benefits to society.



Roads in developing countries are often more unsafe than roads in industrial countries and the traffic safety problems faced by children will often be greater in the developing world.Absence of traffic education can leave children exposed to unnecessary risk.Since the traffic circumstances and problems faced by such children are very different,it is inappropriate to simply use teaching materials from developed countries,they will need to be adapted to reflect the needs,problems,and circumstances of relevance to local children.

In addition,an incremental approach is needed to improve road safety education.Road safety provision should not rely on only occasional,isolated talks by visiting speakers but should include regular practical training.Essential components in developing and improving this sector are as follows:
* inclusion of road safety in the school curriculum appropriate to each group;
*development and production of classroom materials;
*production of a teacher"s guide and disseminationto all teachers;
*inclusion of road safety in teacher training courses; and
*coordination of activity and clearly defined responsibilities.
PRIORITY ACTONS NEEDED

1. Review current extent of road safety education in school curriculum and asses adequacy and practicality of lessons and materials.

2.Develop road safety education pilot projects in high risk areas,especially around roads being rehabilitated where the road accidents are likely to increase.

3.Strengthen road safety education in national curriculum with on-road practical lessons.

Children need to be made more aware of road safety and should be taught survival skills appropriate to their age and needs.Teaching of road safety in schools is best done by teachers who have themselves been trained on road safety issues and who can provide such instruction on a regular basis to their students.

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