As part of efforts toward curbing road acidents ahead of the December elections and the festive season, the AritaGlobe Foundation in collaboaration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has launched a road safety campaign for children.
The event which marked World Children’s Day was on the wings of the NRSA’s ‘Arrive Alive’ campaign and supported by the MTTD. The #ArriveAlive4kids campaign was under the theme : “Reimagine a safer world for every child”
Speaking at the launch of the event, the Executive Director of AritaGlobe Foundation, Princess Arita Anim stated “Over the years, there has been a hike in road crashes during election and Christmas periods following increase in political activities among others. The most pathetic part is that children are usually at risk for road traffic injuries for a number of reasons”.
She continued, “A lot of children become vulnerable following road accidents. Road Safety is very key and part of our agenda but this time we are focused on kids. In this launch we want to caution drivers, to reimagine a world without accidents- and every road user can be a victim of traffic accidents, so at least, we are reminding everyone that children don’t cause road accidents. They expect us to help them grow not to end their lives and dreams by any form of road recklessness”.
In Ghana, children alone constitute almost one-third of all pedestrian fatalities. Pedestrians, especially children bear a disproportionately high share of road traffic fatalities.
According to Miss Anim, “children, even if they are not the victim themselves, and their guardian or whoever is involved, their dreams could end abruptly. Because a guardian, mother, father, sister, brother or the person is taking care of the ward and might have probably been involved in an accident to death or injured in any form".
“This is sad and unacceptable. These children we see today are the world if only we knew what that means, we shall go about saving every child by making it a priority to arrive alive as a driver, passenger, pedestrian or a rider when you leave your homes to work or wherever”, Miss Anim cried out.
In his speech, the Director of Planning and Programming at the National Road Safety Authority, Ing David Osafo Adonteng, revealed that the NRSA has already began an engagement with the Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service (GES) on plans to fix in road safety education in the academic curriculum and stressed that engagements are still ongoing.
The Head Education, Research and Training ate the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Alexander Obeng cautioned drivers, political leaders and all road users to adhere to the road safety regulations to save children, especially in the run up to the 2020 polls and the Christmas season.
“As we launch the official road safety campaign for children by AritaGlobe Foundation on this day to mark World Children’s Day, which seeks the welfare of children, everyone must play his or her part- road safety cannot be left out. We should all make sure we arrive alive for the sake of our children’s future and our own lives,” Supt. Obeng cautioned.
In her appeal, the Headmistress of Osu Presby Girls Basic School, Madam Lydia Offei Kwapong, called on the Ghana Education Service to inculcate Road Safety Education in the Academic Curriculum as soon as possible.
She said, that would go a long way to enhance road users on the dangers of recklessness.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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