Sunday, May 07, 2006
Vehicles kill 263 kids per day
By Jujemay G. Awit
CEBU CITY -- Every day, 263 children below 14 years old either die or get injured in traffic accidents.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide, an international organization aiming to prevent injuries in children, injuries caused by traffic accidents is the number one killer of children.
However, the fact is not widely known to the public since the Department of Health (DOH) does not tabulate this.
Metropolitan cities like Cebu, is prone to keep a high record of traffic accidents in children. Because of this, the Safe Kids Philippines (SKP) plans to launch the Safe Kids Program in Cebu next month, in time for the opening of classes.
Through their pilot programs in Pasay, Parañaque and Olongapo cities, SKP found that most children walk to their respective elementary schools and back.
According to Dr. Rafael Consunji, 66 to 75 percent of students walk to and from school every day. Of this, 25 percent are not accompanied by adults.
SKP discouraged parents or guardians to allow their children, especially those below 10 years old, to walk in the streets alone.
Children compose 25 percent of those injured in traffic accidents.
SKP devised the Safe Kids Program to educate children on the dangers of the road. It has noted that four of 11 children killed or injured on the road are pedestrians.
Consunji said that in June, SKP will bring to Cebu the "walk this way" program. The program considers education, engineering, enforcement, evaluation, enthusiasm and empowerment.
Education means that children will be taught safety road rules like wearing a neon orange reflector/zipper pull on their backpacks so they will be clearly seen by drivers when they cross the street.
Engineering includes the painting of pedestrian lanes and construction of railings on the sidewalks of the schools. But since not all drivers are aware that they are supposed to slow down when approaching pedestrian lanes, enforcement of the law is important.
Lack of sidewalks and obstructed sidewalks, mixing of road users and lack of space enough for all road users are among the basic traffic problems in metropolitan areas.
Since the initiation of the program in 2004, SKP has reached over 55,000 children and more than 50 schools.
The main aim of the program is to decrease injuries in the country, since most members of Safe Kids Worldwide have already decreased incidents and deaths caused by traffic-related injuries.
The Philippines recorded 7.8 deaths per 100,000 children. Korea only has 5.1 while the United States and New Zealand recorded 3.4 and 3.1, respectively. (Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(May 7, 2006 issue)
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