CRC promotes road safety education
THE Cambodian Red Cross (CRC) and Cambodia Airports have jointly sponsored the official launch of a traffic safety park at Chea Sim Santhormok High School in Phnom Penh. This initiative aims to impart knowledge on road traffic laws, traffic signs and the driving code of ethics to young people, students, families and teachers.
In a social media post on December 4, the CRC said the facility is crafted to serve as a key contributor to driving the implementation of activities aimed at enhancing traffic safety knowledge.
It said it finds encouragement in supporting the government’s efforts to implement and enhance adherence to road safety laws. This effort contributes to the goal of reducing accidents by 50 per cent by the end of 2030, aligning with the objectives of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-30.
During the event, CRC secretarygeneral Pum Chantinie urged young people, students and teachers to actively participate in spreading awareness of road traffic laws to their families, parents, relatives and friends. She stated the importance of setting good examples by consistently respecting traffic signs and laws.
Hem Sinareth, director of the Phnom Penh municipal education department, said on December 5 that incorporating road safety signs in schools plays a role in educating students about road usage. He also noted that several other schools have implemented similar safety parks.
“The CRC has installed a number of traffic signs in schools with the objective of imparting greater knowledge and understanding of the appropriate use of roads. This initiative is anticipated to significantly contribute to the reduction of traffic accidents,” he said.
Kim Pagna, country director of the Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP), supports the introduction of traffic safety parks in schools. The aim is to reduce traffic accidents in Cambodia by creating more parks and utilising them effectively, learning from any shortcomings to implement improvements in other schools.
“The crucial step for schools is to incorporate traffic law enforcement regulations, including helmet-wearing, into their internal rules and ensure strict enforcement. Currently, less than 10 per cent of primary school students wear helmets,” he said.
Supported by Cambodia Airport, the CRC will set up additional traffic safety parks at public schools in Preah Sihanouk province. At Chea Sim Santhormok High School, the CRC has provided six large vertical billboards displaying traffic signs, command signs and prohibition signs. They also donated two safety barriers, 200 posters advocating helmet usage, 2,000 helmet use postcards, 400 reflectors *and a number of helmets.