Save the Children International (SCI) has commenced sensitization of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Students on road safety rules to ensure their safety on roads and at traffic areas.
The campaign, which was in line with United Nations (UN) week for road safety, was meant to reduce road traffic injuries – the leading cause of death and disability worldwide.
Addressing students of Junior Secondary School, Life Camp, FCT, SCI’s Head of Safety and security, Peter Adomi, said SCI took the initiative to promote road safety management, safer vehicles, safer road users, post-crash response, and safer driving environments.
“We are sensitizing them to observe various rules on the roads. We have been to other schools and we are happy with the campaign because we are educating the children to understand the various challenges on the roads,” he said.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Zebra crossing’, Mr Adomi said SCI was educating them on Zebra crossing, because “our drivers don’t understand road signs”.
“If the children know how to use the Zebra crossing, it will be easier for them to access the road.”
He called on policy-makers to rethink mobility, make walking, cycling, and public transport safe and convenient so that people can make the shift to active, sustainable mobility.
Statistics reveal that road transport crashes are more around private schools, he said, adding: “That’s where you have the largest traffic of school pickup and drop off and that’s where you find people being in a hurry to dash in and out to pick their children. Our focus is that children need to know what to do.”
The Advocacy Campaign and Policy Manager, SCI, Edith Gumut Nankiling, explained that the organisation had engaged with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), VIO and Secondary schools in the FCT to create awareness on the need for children to obey road safety rules.
Emmanuel Ene from Junior Secondary, Gwarimpa, who spoke on behalf of the students, expressed joy at the teaching on road safety rules, and advised drivers and other road users to intimate themselves with road safety etiquette to avoid accidents.
Reporting by Julian Osamoto; Editing by Adeniyi Bakare and Tony Okerafor