THE AREA One Police has collaborated with the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to institute a road safety programme for all-age and primary schools in Trelawny, St. James, Hanover and Westmoreland.
The programme is being instituted as part of the activities to observe November as Road Safety Month and will involve educating students about proper road use.
Corporal Rupert Brown, sub-officer in charge of the Area One Police Road Safety Unit, said the programme comes against the background of an increase in road accidents involving children.
Seven children have died in motor vehicle accidents in the region between January and October 2002, compared with six for the same period last year. "This is so, even though there have been fewer accidents in the region," Cpl. Brown said.
He said the Unit has received a list of all schools in Area One and dialogue was held with principals, teachers and guidance counsellors to schedule lectures. "We identified the most appropriate time to lecture and to demonstrate to the students," he said.
Cpl. Brown told the Jamaica Information Service (JIS) that the programme had the full support of teachers, parents and students and the hope was that it would lead to a reduction in the number of road fatalities in the region.
