‘Tell your parents to slow down’
Children told to warn mums and dads about dangerous driving during protest
CHILDREN were asked to tell their parents to drive safely during a “Traffic Week” protest in Lefkoşa on Monday.
The “We are Safe at Home, We Want to Be Safe on the Road” themed march was organised by the Traffic Accidents Prevention Association (TKÖD).
Nearly 300 people took part in the march, including year 3, 4 and 5 students from Şehit Tuncer Primary School, some of whom were on bicycles, and their teachers. A marching band and TKÖD officials also participated.
The march began at the school and continued past the Finance Ministry, stopping in front of Parliament where a statement was read out to the press. It then continued on Osmanpaşa Caddesi and ended in the car park in front of Kumsal Park.
During the march, children carried banners bearing messages such as “Notice Me in Traffic”, “You’re a Driver, We Are Children, Protect Us”, “Children Belong in the Back Seat”, “We Don’t Want to Die in Traffic”, “Don’t Give in to Alcohol and Speed”, “Seat Belts in Cars” and “Wear Helmets on Motorcycles”.
In his statement in front of Parliament, TKÖD president Prof Mehmet Zeki Avcı said that they organise events in May every year with the hope of preventing road accidents.
Prof Avcı told the children: “When you get in the car, first fasten your seat belt, then ask your parents to do the same. If your parents drive fast, tell them that you love them and to slow down.”
He thanked Turkey for building “safe roads” but argued that governments in North Cyprus have not carried out maintenance and repairs in a timely manner, “laying the foundation for dangers” on the roads.
“Junctions are dangerous, the roads have no markings, street lights don’t work, signage is insufficient and damaged crash barriers have not been fixed, all of which pose a threat,” he said.
Emphasising that the TKÖD want “drivers who follow the rules on the roads”, Prof Avcı pointed to recent accidents and underlined that drunk drivers put lives at risk.
“The duty of governments is to teach you [children] to be safe drivers and to make our roads safe. If they started doing these things today, it would take them about five years to get their act together,” he said.
Prof Avcı explained that various draft amendments to motoring and driving licence regulations aimed at improving road safety have been left gathering dust on the shelves of the Public Works and Transport Ministry since 2017.
Pointing out that police patrol cars and camera systems were purchased 10 years ago to spot dangerous drivers “immediately” but that 100 police officers that were to be hired were not, Prof Avcı called for “continuous police patrols” on the roads.
He also said that a “Road Safety Bill” to prevent people from using drugs and driving has been “waiting in Parliament” for 21 months.
Şehit Tuncer Primary School headteacher Elçin Altan called for more cycle lanes and said that drivers should be “respectful” of cyclists.
She also criticised drivers who park their cars on pavements and said that there would be no problems on the roads if everyone drove with “love and respect and followed the rules”.