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MANILA, Philippines – If you want your children to be responsible adult road users, educate them on road safety early.
Automobile company Volkswagen Philippines launched “Child Safety Initiative 2.0” in Quezon City on Saturday, May 20. The campaign, on its second year, aims to prepare children to become responsible adult road users.
It features a driving course for kids and a seminar on road safety for children aged 9 to 12 years old.
“The road is a serious business,” said Ma Theresa Perez, the program director of the Philippine Global Road Safety Partnership (PGRSP).
Perez said they are working with Volkswagen Philippines in developing tools that will educate children on appropriate road behavior.
The automobile company commits to educate children by putting up these courses. Take a look at their installation at Robinson’s Magnolia:
Junior Driving Course
The Junior Driving Course for children aged 4 to 8 allows children to use push cars and be the driver in a simulated roadway.
On the course, mini-lectures are given on the significance of road signages and which lanes on the roadway are available for traffic before they are allowed to “practice driving.”
During the morning session, PGRSP Secretary General and former Land Transportation Office chief Alberto Suansing taught the kids about basic driving.
The children will drive around the simulated community, equipped with road signs and stoplights. The kids will have to drive around destinations such as the church, the school, the house, the mall, and the park.
Graduates of the course will receive their junior driver’s license.
“Giving licenses is a way of asking the kids to commit to what they have learned and to do the same behavior when they are out on the streets,” said Perez.
Steps to safety module
Since the safety initiative is on its second year, Volkswagen Philippines added a new program called “Steps to Safety.”
The module is a 15-minute seminar that focuses on pedestrian safety. The program is for older children aged 9 to 12.
The practical application was done through the aid of a virtual reality environment.
The kids learned 3 important tips when crossing the road.
- Plan – Find the safest place to cross
- Stop – before stepping onto the road
- Look – left and right before crossing
The kids were given basic instructions to ensure pedestrian safety such as walking facing the traffic or in single file if walking in groups. They were also told not to cross the street alone.
Every year, 1.25 million people around the world die due to traffic crash-related incidents – a global problem that the World Health Organization (WHO) says is both predictable and preventable.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, more than 500 children die every year due to motor vehicle incidents.
In 2014, PSA recorded 253 deaths among children aged 5 to 9, while 195 children aged 10 to 14 died due to road mishaps.
What can you do to educate children on road safety?– Rappler.com
Basmarie Jane Marin is a Rappler intern
Learn more about Filipinos’ safety on the road by visiting the Road Safety Awareness microsite.
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