Lagos State government has said that transport-related incidents remain one of the leading causes of death among children and young people worldwide.
The Special Adviser on Transportation to Lagos State Governor, Mr Sola Giwa, stated this on Wednesday at the relaunch of the Lagos State School Safety Traffic Advocacy Programme.
With more than 12 million people dying each year, and up to 50 million people disabled from road accidents and crashes, he said that it is well established that behaviours and attitudes toward road use are often formed during childhood.
Giwa added that the school advocacy programme seeks to shape attitudes positively, ensuring especially children become responsible drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists and above all, responsible citizen in the future.
“Today, we reaffirm our collective commitment to making Lagos a safer state for our children and future generations by equipping them with the knowledge and skills to navigate our roads responsibly.
“This initiative, spearheaded by the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, reflects the government’s determination to address two critical issues: the lack of traffic knowledge and poor road attitudes that contribute to gridlock and road safety challenges in our state.
“Research has shown that the majority of commercial and professional drivers in our society have limited exposure to traffic safety education. Many are primary school graduates or individuals who did not complete secondary education, yet they play a vital role in our transportation system.
“Additionally, our children and young people, whether as pedestrians, passengers, or cyclists, share these roads daily, making their safety an utmost priority.
“Through the initiative, we aim to address these challenges by instilling traffic safety awareness among students, teachers, and parents across public and private primary and secondary schools.
“This programme has been carefully designed to provide comprehensive traffic education that not only teaches traffic rules and regulations but also fosters safety consciousness and promotes responsible road use from an early age.”
Giwa stated that the re-launch of the initiative underscores the state government’s renewed commitment to traffic safety education.
By equipping our schools and communities with the necessary knowledge, he said the government was addressing immediate safety concerns and creating a traffic-conscious generation.
“However, the success of the initiative depends on the active participation of all stakeholders.”
The General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Bakare-Oki Olalekan, said that the ideal of the Lagos State School Traffic Safety Advocacy Programme for children in school as taught by the agency is geared towards ensuring that children, in their formate years know how to identify a safe situation.
Quoting the World Health Organization, he said more than 12 million people die each year, and up to 50 million are disabled due to road accidents.
Oki further said that the school safety advocacy is to inculcate a culture of discipline in children, teaching them to endeavor to walk on pavements or paths if there is one and never stray into the road.
The LASTMA boss stated that teaching road safety in the classroom is the core of its advocacy.
