Volume 4

Number 1

The African Star

An on-line publication for the certificate  and degree  in journalism distance education program

 

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Road safety for children

By Zuhur Yassin Ibrahim--Somaliland

  

A large number of people, especially children, die due to road accidents every day around the world. The risks of accidents even increase with the bad roads and many inexperienced drivers in the cities of Somaliland. People that die are someone’s sister, friend, mother, father, brother. We should act to save the innocent lives.

 Let’s start with the authorities convincing them to make the penalties of careless driving much stricter. Let there be harsh consequences to pay, for others to know that driving carelessly is no more tolerated. Lectures should be prepared about how adding more speed breakers, traffic police, road signs and building broken roads will make it safer for children and all. Even though it costs dollars there is no price worth a life.

The mass media is a great way to change behaviour, we should use the platform to promote safe driving. Messages on road safety should be Newspapers, T.V radios all the time. We should also work on how we can include sessions on road safety into our education curriculum system. Teaching signs, symbols, and safety rules to those at school is a key to save innocent lives. Parent and elders have a part to play; meetings on road safety should be held for communities. Children everywhere should be supervised while out on the road. Teaching your child from a young age what is right and wrong on the road will make a difference for young and old.

 Young people have a job to do; act responsibly while on car, bicycle or foot. They should help the younger ones to know and learn. They should understand that there is nothing worth a life.

Everyone has a part to play so that our children and families are safe on the roads. The world today is filled with problems; it is individuals like us who can make a difference.