Parents setting bad road safety examples

PARENTS are among the major culprits when it comes to breaking road safety rules and setting bad examples which their children adopt.

Traffic warden Janine Adams said it is difficult to get pedestrians, especially parents, to adhere to road safety rules. She said parents are seen every day ignoring zebra crossings.

“In my experience, parents can be a bit indisciplined in teaching their children the proper road safety ethics. Parents do not use the pedestrian crossing even though it may be two feet away. They would rather cross away from it and expect oncoming vehicles to stop to allow them to cross.

“Parents need to do the right thing so their children can be safe,” Adams told Newsday during the 5th UN Global Road Safety Week initiative in San Fernando on Thursday. The theme of this year’s initiative is #Speak Up For Road Safe­ty and is focused on pedes­tri­an safe­ty.

Adams said the traffic warden road safety and career guidance unit often go to schools to educate the children who are always excited to learn and practise correct road safety methods.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan launched the week-long initiative at City Gate, Port of Spain on Monday. Since then, various agencies which have partnered with the ministry, including Arrive Alive, the police service and traffic wardens have taken the initiative to Success Laventille, St Augustine, Chaguanas, Tunapuna and San Fernando.

On Friday, the team was expected to go to Mt Hope and West Mall to distribute flyers and encourage drivers and pedestrians to sign a petition to urge the ministry to maintain zebra crossings and other road-safety facilities. The initiative is scheduled to end on Sunday.

PC Brent Batson, who is also a key stakeholder in Arrive Alive, said it is important to have proper signage and safety facilities visible.

“Because a key part to alert the driver to know when he should slow down, is being able to see where a crossing zone is supposed to be. Some of the paint has disappeared from road crossings.”

Batson said for 2019 pedestrian road deaths stand at 35 per cent which is very high for a developing country.

“Most other countries average around 25 per cent, so we are just trying to use the opportunity to educate pedestrians what they can do to minimise their risk.”

At the same time, drivers are also asked to respect pedestrians and share the space with them.

“Pedestrians have a right to the road as well. In some main roads and villages, there are no pavements and drivers cannot drive at the same speed as they do on the highways.”

The new amendments to the Road Traffic Act makes it an offence for a driver to yield to pedestrians on a zebra crossing, or park on the crossing.

Arrive Alive manager, Jerome Skinner, said the group has reached half their target of 1000 signatures on the petition which will be submitted to the Works Ministry.