By Philip Yatai
Kaduna – The Kaduna Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday in Kaduna enlightened secondary school students on road signs to safeguard them from avoidable accidents as part of activities to celebrate Children’s Day.
The sector commander, Hafiz Mohammed, said that enlightenment was key to reducing accidents and children being the future of the country, needed to be empowered with necessary information on how to stay alive by being cautious while on the road.
“We are celebrating this year’s children day with the theme,’Road Signs, Child Restrain and Positioning in Vehicles.’
“The children need to know how to properly use the road by knowing various road signs and how to walk on the road, particularly by not backing the traffic.
“This is part of child’s protection issues that we all must pay attention to, particularly by empowering our children with road safety tips to save themselves from avoidable accidents.”
Also speaking, the sector’s Public Enlightenment Officer, Superintendent Route Commander, Grace Peter, said that educating school children was part of the corps public enlightenment efforts to equip citizens with road safety tips.
Peter said that the department carry out enlightenment campaigns to at least three schools every week to reach out to pre-primary, primary and secondary school students.
“We enlighten them on traffic signs and what each colour stands for; how to avoid distraction while on the road; avoid backing the traffic and wearing of bright colours in the night.
“We also discourage them from touching buttons in the car, avoid sitting on the front seat until a child is over 12 years and refuse sitting on parent’s laps while in the car,” she said.
Most of the students who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said it was the first time they were being enlightened on how to properly use the road to avoid accident.
Aisha Danwalis of United Secondary School, Kurmin Mashi, Kaduna, said: “I have no idea of how to use the road until today.
“I walk anyhow on the road not knowing that I am endangering my life, but today I am well equipped with information on how to walk safely on the road.
“Now I know some of the road signs and what they meant. I am so happy and I really thank the road safety corps for this life saving knowledge.”
Abdulrahim Ibrahim of City Academy, Kabala Doki, expressed joy for the knowledge acquired, saying he was now better equipped to walk safely on the road.
After the enlightenment, the FRSC officials, National Youths Service Corps Road Safety Club, Special Marshals and students from different secondary schools took a road walk and distributed fliers on road safety tips to road users. (