Safety should begin at school

Madam – During the past few weeks, we have read reports of vehicle accidents and quite a few pedestrians being knocked down while jay walking in town.

I would like to suggest that all the schools in Newcastle should add one extra compulsory subject, i.e. road safety. If one hour a week was used to teach this subject, it could save many lives and prevent injury to a number of pedestrians.

It will also prevent road rage, as I am sure that many drivers object very strongly to law-breaking jay walkers causing them to slam on breaks, endangering their own vehicles and lives.

I once asked a pedestrian if he knew what the RED and GREEN man on the traffic lights stood for. He had no idea what they stood for, as he had not even noticed them. So the students could also teach their parents about the laws regarding the correct way of crossing the road. But then there are a number of traffic lights where the red and green men do not work.

The schools can set up a practical and written exam paper on this subject, but if a teacher sees a student jay walking, the student immediately fails the subject.

If the student is in the company of his parents and they are all jay walking, then he also fails the year and especially if a student is seen in uniform jay walking, they should be required to report to the headmaster or department head the following day.

After all, it is their own lives they are playing with.

SAFETY FIRST