A report of an intervention for Road Safety.

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By DANIEL Petroula
For further inquires please contact me via
Email: Aggeloui1@hotmail.com
Link of activities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiETo-
4DLLk&list=PLNqX619H7Vzu4U_V5OwuFV5CZxvIoYofj

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Abstract

According to The World Health Organization in the year of 2013, 186,300 pupils under
eighteen die on the worlds roads almost every year and road accidents are amongst the top
five causes of death for kids over five and the primary cause between the 15 17 year olds.
Car passengers and pedestrians report roughly three quarters of road deaths among the
youngsters, while girls are twice less likely to die on the roads in comparison with the boys.

Road deceased rates are almost three times more in developing nations than in developed
nations. The European Union is the safest sector universally, with a casualty rate of around
fifty-one per million citizens in comparison with Africa that it is nearly five times higher and
in the United States of America is about twice as high.

Pupils road safety in Cyprus became a big distressing story in recent years. Road deaths
amongst kids have increased according to statistics that were conducted by the Traffic
Department Police in Cyprus in the last few years (Police of Cyprus, 2015). On the other
hand, pupils road safety in The European Union is a huge success story. Road deaths
between youngsters were reduced by more than thirty present between any other era group in
the last twenty years and under fifteens are nowadays by far the safest road user group in
The European Union (European Commission, 2015).

The aim of this project is to improve pupils attitudes, knowledge and behaviour towards road
safety issues and, most significantly, in avoiding vehicle pedestrian collisions as road users
or pedestrians.

Introduction

Last year, my school, took part in a project regarding Road Safety in Cyprus. We were
chosen to take part in this program course. According to statistics by the ministry of Ministry
of Justice and Public Order we are a school of high risk in traffic delinquency (Appendix A).
The above program, called , was being run in 7 different schools around Cyprus
with the collaboration of Ministry of Education, through the field of Home Economics.

Home Economics is a subject being taught from primary school and goes up to secondary
school. Another name being used for this field is Family and Consumer Sciences since it
covers subjects that have to do with economics and management of the home and community
(IFHE, 2015). This sector deals with the correlation amongst individuals, families and
communities and the environment in which they exist.

This subject of study includes areas as consumer sciences, food preparation, early childhood
education, human development, apparel design, textiles, interior design, nutrition, family
economics, parenting, as well as other related topics like sex education and road safety may
also be covered.

I have been working as a teacher in the field of Home Economics/Health Education for the
last nine years, and currently hold this position. Since 2006, I have been an active member
and volunteer of The Cyprus Family Planning Association, which deals with family planning

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issues. In addition to this I am responsible for training others in this subject area. I undertake
to participate in numerous educational seminars for the CFPA and The Association of
Teachers of Home Economics, in the area of sexual and reproductive health and other
subjects dealing with health education. In the last few years I have participated and won
numerous student competitions in subjects that involve human health and road safety.

Programme

The programme on road safety lasted 12 months (January 2015 December 2015) and about
250 pupils took part. Road safety learning is a life-long development, but it must begin with
the youngsters, tailoring its note to the pupils in order to teach secure traffic behaviours from
primary to secondary school, so that protection becomes entrenched as part of the tradition
and practice of our kids.

Training pupils to distinguish and understand auditory and visual clues is vital. Kids crashed
by means of transportation most of the times argue that they do look prior to crossing the
road, but did not notice the approaching vehicle that hit them. As these types of skills are
developed, pupils become more conscious of applicable signs and appraise traffic situations
more capably. Students are not yet aware of the thought of danger and must be taught to
comprehend the risks inherent in the road society. A realistic experience is essential to enable
road safety skills to develop.

The goals for Road Education require coaching students to be safer road users by developing:

Familiarization and understanding of road traffic

Behaviour skills essential to survive in traffic
An understanding of their own responsibilities for keeping themselves safe
Awareness of the cause and effects of road accidents
A sensible attitude regarding their own safety and the safety of others

To comprehend the skills and strategies needed to be a safer passenger or pedestrian, the
following skills must be established:

Recognition of the presence of traffic

Optical timing judgement
Coordination of information from different directions
Coordination of perception and action
Cognitive ability to assess the traffic situation
Methods of internalizing traffic negotiation

The students had four workshops in order to learn the theory behind road safety and two
sessions outside school (on the road) to identify sensible and insensible attitudes regarding
their own road safety and the road safety of others. Pupils should experience the world
beyond the classroom as a vital part of personal and learning development, whatever their
ability, circumstances or age.

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After the theory they had to come up with ideas that could help their school/community to
become a safer place for them and their families.

Different groups of students did the following activities:

1. Had a meeting with the major of Larnaca, Mr. Andrea Louroutziate and discussed the
issues concerning our school. They presented him with a short movie maker film
pointing out the problems we are facing as a school.

Figure 1: The group of students who worked for the meeting with the major of Larnaca.

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Figure 2: Meeting with the major, the council and the head of Larnaka Police.

2. Had seminars given by The Police.

Figure 3 and 4: Presentation by Mr. Kyriako Panteli, who is the person in charge for Road
Safety Issues in the district of Larnaca.
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3. The students created different road safety games.

Figure 5, 6, 7, 8: Playing games

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 4. Did drawings, wrote poems and stories, kryptolexa, crosswords.

Figure 9, 10, 11, and 12: Drawings and Poems

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 Figures 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17: Word finder

games, Crosswords.

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 5. Had workshop seminars by The Organization of Reaction.

Figure 18 and 19: Workshop Seminars

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 6. Participated in the program Save kids Lives.

Figure 20 and 21: Programme Save Kids Lives

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 7. Did two small films

Figures 22, 23, 24 and 25: Shootings for the films.

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 8. Wrote a song.

Figures 26 and 27: The singer, composer, writer of the song.

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Conclusion

Road Safety Education can improve pupils awareness on road safety issues to prevent and
reduce road traffic accidents. By collaborating with the pupils and involving them in
activities outside the classroom they usually produce better results. As stated by Benjamin
Franklin Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.

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References:

1. European Commission, 2015. Road Safety Newsletter, European Union Newsletter,

Volume 19, June 2015.
2. International Federation for Home Economics (IFHE), 2015. What is Home
Economics?, International Journal of Home Economics, Volume 1, 1.
3. Police of Cyprus, 2015. Statistical Data. Available at:
http://www.police.gov.cy/police/police.nsf/dmlstatistical_en/dmlstatistical_en?OpenD
ocument . Accessed at: 09 January 2016.
4. World Health Organization, 2013. Global Status Report on Road Safety, 2013.
Supporting a Decade of Action. Available at:
http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/2013/en/ .
Accessed at: 09 January 2016.

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Appendix A

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