SAFE
WITH SAFE KIDS
-Bernard
Fernandes
St. Joseph’s High School
Wadala
18th September, 2012
Last
year, in an effective tie-up with the Safe-Kids foundation, the school chose to
blaze a trail in pedestrian safety. Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of
organizations with a mission of preventing unintentional childhood injury, a
leading cause of death and disability for children ages 14 and under. The 23
member countries of Safe Kids Worldwide bring together health and safety
experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to
educate families, create safer environments and advocate for improved laws to
protect children.
Having
completed some surveys with the students and parents – student walkability
checklist, student behavioral survey (walking to school, crossing the road…), student
traffic safety knowledge survey – and after having gained relevant information,
the path was clear to further this study, and work on the hazards surrounding
traffic safety. The students were administered
a post research survey. The working committee and a group of road safety
professionals carried out the school zone assessment that served as a tool for
further study and interventions.
MUMBAI ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL NETWORK (MESN) and
BRIHANMUMBAIMAHAPALIKA SHIKSHAK SABHA (BMSS) were the partners of Safe Kids
Foundation for conducting the Model School Zone Project in our school. MESN was instrumental in carrying out a
detailed research and assessment of the school zone, and presenting some
noteworthy concerns and interventions. The members of this group highlighted a
few concerns such as, lack of pedestrian safety and comfort, traffic
congestion, Inappropriate and undefined drop off / pick up, parking, waiting
zones, absence of legible road markings/signage's, wrong / no defined pedestrian
crossings, Inadequate and inconsistent foot paths and high pedestrian intensity edge.
Their interventions and inferences were of greater
significance. Sample some of these: Need to re-organize the school gates w.r.t. intensity; defined, easily accessible and
safer pedestrian crossings; slow, steady vehicular traffic flow with segregated
pedestrian traffic,; bigger roundabout of appropriate size for easy and
disciplined turning of all type of vehicles; restricted, defined, paid parking;
defined, restricted, drop off and pick up zones – 2w/4w/bus; defined waiting
area; appropriately located legible
signage’s. The detailed study and
recommendations, after being presented to the management of the school, were
put forward, and discussed, at a stakeholders’ meeting on 10th
Sept., 2012, attended by the MESN group, BMSS heads and staff members, traffic
cops, PTA executive members, social workers, representatives of our own
management team, staff and students.
One of the notable features of this exercise was the
contribution by our own students through Photo Voice. Ten of our students were trained by the Safe
Kids staff to bring alive the traffic hazards we face through photos taken from
strategic points. Parents, well wishers
and teachers volunteered to accompany this group to the spots assigned to them
to carry out their task. The response
was amazing – they clicked astonishing snaps to bring closer home some of the oft
forgotten truths and facts of traffic hazards. The students were bold enough to
paint a vivid description of the situation before an elite audience of
professional s, social workers, educators and public servants at the
stakeholders’ meet.
The focus now shifts to the training program for the
students and awareness programs for parents and the concerned public. There
lies a greater challenge ahead of us. Time to jettison old habits and embrace
refreshing, intrepid and safe practices to ring in the new!
For further information on Safe Kids foundation, visit the
site:
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