– Commander Cooper tells pupils of Stewartville Nursery

Road safety is a subject in which young people and children should be engaged, since it helps to shape their attitudes and understanding as regards the usage of the roadways, Commander of ‘D’ Division, Senior Superintendent Edmond Cooper, said.

He offered the remarks following a recent lecture at the Stewartville Nursery School on road safety issues and practices.

Present at the event were six teachers and 65 students who benefitted from the timely lecture. The policemen, who gave the lecture, were Corporal Sandesh Pachai and Constable Devon Browne.

The commander told this publication that road accidents are the largest killers of young people worldwide, and every death or serious injury of a child on the roadway is devastating for the family, the wider community, and the child’s school.

The senior superintendent said that educators can play a vital role in protecting children and stopping devastating casualties by teaching life-saving messages to students.

“Some drivers do dangerous things, which increase the chance of them killing or hurting themselves or someone else. For example, speeding, or using a phone while at the wheel, or driving after drinking alcohol,” the commander noted.

He explained that well-educated children may already have a grasp of fundamental road safety rules, thanks to their parents. But others may not.

Therefore, the Guyana Police Force will be doing their part in spreading awareness.

“Most children have a better understanding of death and injury than you may think. With sensitivity, it’s important to develop children’s knowledge and engagement with the concepts of hazards, risk-taking and the consequences of risk-taking (death and injury),” he explained.

During the educational session at the school, the topics discussed were: How to use the roadway, children playing on roadways, The Kerb Drill, the importance of wearing brightly-coloured clothing at nights, using pedal cycle with both hands, and overcrowded minibuses.

The commander said this is in keeping with the department’s mandate to raise awareness about road safety issues with citizens and students throughout Guyana.

There have been a 20.8 per cent increase in fatal accidents and a 19.2 per cent increase in deaths from fatal accidents for the period of January 1 to April 3, 2019, as compared to the corresponding period last year, police statistics indicate.