Reagile learners take part in road safety campaign

Over 1 600 learners of Reagile Primary School, including their teachers, took part in an educational road safety awareness campaign on May 4.

The awareness campaign, which was organised by the Road Accident Fund (RAF), was aimed at changing learners’ attitudes towards road safety and encourage them to identify road safety challenges in the community and find solutions through research.

This initiative included the distribution of road safety posters which learners can colour in and an industrial theatre performance which taught them about safety rules in a fun, memorable way.

During this informative campaign, learners at Reagile Primary School couldn’t contain their excitement when the Soweto-based Mthakathi Entertainment staged a play about road safety signs and rules.

Speaking to Boniswa Matshoba, marketing, PR and reputation management specialist from the RAF said it is well aware that road traffic injuries are a global problem affecting all sectors of society.

“This initiative was delivered at 10 primary schools across the country. The RAF also subscribes to the notion that road traffic injuries are a growing public health issue, which disproportionately affects vulnerable groups of road users, including children.

“In addition, road accidents are, unfortunately, a negative consequence of economic growth, affecting both economically active members of our society and other citizens,” added Matshoba.

Matshoba emphasised that the primary objective of the RAF Road Safety Strategy is to reduce the current high rate of road accidents by becoming proactively involved in activities aimed at addressing road safety behaviour and promoting road safety principles and effective law enforcement.

“Many school learners cross busy roads to get to their schools. We read and hear reports about road accidents involving children walking to and from schools, shops, among others, or being involved in car crashes while using scholar transportation,” said Matshoba.

She said Reagile Primary School, for example, recently lost a learner who was hit by a car.

“These accidents are not necessarily caused by the learners, and that is why the RAF has various road safety campaigns targeted at young people and various road users (pedestrians, drivers, passengers, and cyclists). Through this campaign, it is hoped that the children will begin to not only engage in road safety practices but also influence their parents and other grown-ups to do the same,” added Matshoba.

When asked what they can say to learners and parents in terms of road safety, Matshoba said they must always remember to obey the rules of the road because having a road safety attitude and behaviour could save their lives.

Some road safety rules for school children are:

• Do not just cross the road. Stop, look right, left and right again then cross over.

• Wear white or bright coloured clothing at night.

• Use a pedestrian crossing when crossing the road, or cross at the traffic lights.

• Never stick your hand or any other part of your body outside a moving car, taxi or school transport.

• Stay seated in the car, taxi or school transport and put your seatbelt on.

Reagile Primary School teacher Evelyn Mahlalela said the campaign was very educational towards the school and they needed more of this educational road safety subject.

“Our children get knocked by cars on daily basis. And some children are ignorant and do not listen. We are hoping that from today they will at least try and follow road safety rules and take extra caution when crossing roads or being transported by their scholar transports,” added Mahlalela.

Meanwhile, a Grade Five learner, Kgotsofatso Mahlaela (11), said she was excited to have received a road safety education because learners witnesses car crashes on daily basis.

“We thank the RAF to have recognised our school and bringing the much-needed road safety education to us. I’ve learned how to cross the road and safety rules and I am very thankful,” added Mahlaela.