School Children Train Drivers Through Kid’s Road Safety Panel

• Thomas Clegg Cluster of Schools in Kaneshie had some of its students go through a groundbreaking exercise
• A cross-section of the students, after being trained on road safety, had the chance to equally coach some drivers
• 1,022 students (aged 9-14 years) received the road safety education & 20 were trained specifically to act as road safety ambassadors and trainers

Roles were reversed as school children from the Thomas Clegg Cluster of Schools in Kaneshie and Community 8, No 3 & 4 Primary Schools in Tema led road safety training sessions for commercial drivers in Accra and Tema, as part of the Kids Road Safety Panel (KRSP) program.

Speaking to YEN.com.gh, the spokesperson of AMEND Ghana, a non-governmental organization focused on road safety, said the program was executed in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority and the Ghana Road Transport Coordinating Council (GRTCC).

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According to him, the KRSP program aims to increase drivers’ awareness of road traffic risks around schools, and children's knowledge of road safety by empowering them to speak up about road safety issues in their communities.

AMEND introduced the KRSP program in Ghana through a 2021 pilot session, following its successful development and deployment in Mozambique and Tanzania.

The pilot project is aimed at determining how the program can be scaled up and used as an educational tool for school children, drivers, and other road users in Ghana.

Selected from two high-risk schools in the Greater Accra Region, 10 students from each school were selected and trained to constitute the KRSP. They were trained to lead drivers through tailor-made, insightful road safety education sessions, which were designed to be fun and engaging.

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Altogether, the Ghana leg of the program saw 1,022 students (aged 9-14 years) receive road safety education, 20 students trained specifically to act as road safety ambassadors and trainers, 43 drivers educated during the program as well as 35,693 people on Facebook and 4,244 people on Instagram reached through a targeted social media campaign.

At the end of the program, the 20 trained children were awarded certificates as road safety ambassadors who would share their knowledge with their parents, family and friends to help reduce road crashes, and especially accidents involving pedestrians.

The drivers that participated in the KRSP sessions also pledged their commitment to being less reckless and more circumspect in their application of road safety practices.

Ending road accidents for good in Ghana and saving valuable lives

Meanwhile, the current estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO) have revealed that 1.35 million deaths recorded yearly are from road traffic accidents.

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In Ghana, the National Road and Safety Commission (NRSC) indicated that between 1991 and 2018, an estimated 46,284 people lost their lives from road traffic accidents.

Road traffic accidents or carnages recorded in Ghana seem to be increasing as the years go by.

In March 2020, data from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service revealed that road accidents killed 202 people nationwide.

Source: YEN.com.gh