9. ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION
Meaning of Road Safety Education Road Safety Education
This can be termed as the general knowledge, skills and values provided to people to enable them use road safely. It develops good behavior and enhances the safety of road users.
Road Safety
This refers to the general situation of being safe from danger when people use the road in their journeys to move from one place to another. This situation enables the road users to be free from risks and accidents Road
This is the man-made pathway and hard surface which is built for the vehicle pedestrians and even animals to pass and travel on it from one place to another. Road can be main road or minor road (feeder). There are three types of roads which are Earth road, Gravel road and Tarmac road
Importance of Road Safety Education
i. Reduces roads accident. Road safety education minimize road accidents to the road users who travel from one place to another
ii. It reduces the death among the road users. The death which are resulted from road accidents will be reduced due to the securing road safety education
iii. It increases awareness to the road users. This will make the road users to be carefully on the road which will help them to avoid road accidents
iv. It prevents the damage of the property. Those damaged properties which are resulted from the road accidents will be rescued
v. It reduces the cost in repairing properties and treating injured people. The cost of repairing damaged properties such as vehicles, motor circles and treating the injured people will be reduced
ROAD SIGNS/TRAFFIC SIGNS
Road Signs/Traffic signs
These are symbols designed to provide information or instruction to the road users and tell the road users on how to use the road properly. Road signs carry the message for road users through symbol, shapes and colors that will help the road users to be free from risks and accidents occurred on the road. They are placed or posted on poles or on each side of the road, overhead structures or painted on the road surface.
TYPES OF ROAD SIGNS/TRAFFIC SIGNS
There are three types of road signs, namely:
a. Warning signs/Precaution signs
b. Order signs/Command signs
c. Information signs/Directive signs
A. Warning signs/Precaution signs
These are road signs that warn the road users to take proper measures on the dangerous or unusual condition ahead. They comprise of pictures and diagrams which show the dangers ahead. The shape of these warning signs is triangle. Below are examples of warning signs Examples of warning signs
B. Order signs/Command signs
These are road signs which want the road users to follow the given instructions so as to control the speed of road users. The shape of these signs is circles or octagons. s
C. Information signs/Directive signs
These are road signs which the road users important information on how to use the road. They represented with the rectangle shapes.
Other Road signs
Other road signs include the following;
i. Zebra Crossing
These are the black and white lines colors drawn on the road for the pedestrian to cross the road safely. The drivers should stop their vehicles at the zebra crossing to allow the pedestrian to cross the road.
ii. Solid and broken lines drawn at the centre on the road
These are white or yellow lines colors which are drawn at the center on the road. They are drawn to permit or prohibit the overtaking of the vehicles.
If there is Double solid lines (===) the vehicles are not allowed to overtake other vehicles because it is danger
If there is single broken line ( ) the vehicles are allowed to overtake other vehicles if it is safe
If there is single solid line (-------) the vehicles may overtake if it is safe, but normally the place is not suitable overtaking
iii. Traffic lights
These are lights which are usually put at a cross road to guide the vehicles to pass through the cross roads. They are in three colors Green, Red and Orange
➢ Green color means go/allowed to pass through
➢ Red means stop/ prohibit vehicles to pass through
➢ Orange means get ready to pass or to stop
iv. The lights guide Pedestrians
These are the lights indicated on the short pole in the traffic lights for those people who walk on foot. They have two colors, Green and Red
Red has means keep on standing, don't cross the road
Green has mean keep on going, cross the road it safe for you to pass through but don't forget to look left and right.
Importance of obeying Road Signs
i. Road signs reduce traffic congestion/jam. Traffic jams occurs frequently especially where road are intersect
ii. They help to minimize road accidents. They help to minimize the road accidents among the road users.
iii. They provide the direction to the road users. They provide the information and instructions to the road users on what to do. This will make the road users aware of what is ahead
iv. They provide equal rights on the roads. They provide equal right to road users and equal access of using the road. Example the pedestrians and cattle when crossing the road
v. The reduced the use of large numbers of traffic polices on the roads. They reduce the burden of using many traffic polices to guide and control the vehicles especially in the unnecessary areas.
Impacts of Failure to Obey Road Signs
i. Occurrence of road accidents. It may cause road accidents which cause the death and injuring to the people
ii. May occurrence of traffic congestion. They will be unnecessary traffic jams, especially where roads intersect
iii. There may be the absence of equal rights to the road users. They won't be equal rights to road users, example pedestrians may lack their rights
iv. It can lead to the loss of lives and damage of the property. This may occur due to the road accidents
v. Increase of cost to repairing damaged properties and treating injured people. The government and people will have to spend too much money to treat the victims or cost in repairing the damaged properties
ROAD ACCIDENTS
Concept of Road Accidents
Road accidents are the sudden and unpleasant events that occur on the road when people use the road to move from one place to another. Road accidents may involve car crashes, falling of the vehicles, lead burning of the vehicles and even knocking down pedestrian or cyclists. In Africa including Tanzania the number of road accidents is increasing everyday due to the number of factors.
The Major Causes Of Road Accidents
The causes of road accidents are categorized into two groups namely;
a. Internal factors b. External factors
A. Internal Factors
These are the man made factors that may cause road accidents. These include the following factors;
i. Failure to obey traffic signs. Some of the road users are ignorant in interpreting the road signs. The lack of awareness of road users about road safety and traffic discipline can result to the occurrence of road accidents.
ii. Reckless and inappropriate driving. Some drivers are careless when driving the vehicles. They driving without caring other road users
iii. Excessive speed on the road. High speed being the main factor because since fast-moving the vehicles are sometime uncontrolled.
iv. Alcoholism to the drivers. Some drivers are driving the vehicles while they have drunk alcohol. Driving while drunk will always result in loss of control by drivers which may result accident.
v. Overloading of passengers and luggage. Overloading of passengers and luggage may lead to road accidents because it can cause poor function of the vehicles hence accident.
vi. Overconfidence of some drivers. Some drivers are seemed to be courage of driving with overconfidence. This may lead to taking risks while driving and ultimately accident occur
vii. Corruption practices in ensuring the driving licenses. Some drivers are driving the vehicles while they didn't qualified. They were given the licenses without proper qualification on road safety.
B. External Factors
These are non man made factors that may cause road accidents. These factors include the following;
i. Weather condition. Bad weather condition heavy rainfall may lead to the road accident especially in the roads that are not tarmac. If the weather is not conducive may lead to road accidents.
ii. Poor quality of the road. Many roads especially in developing countries like Tanzania are narrow, rough and full of potholes which make driving very difficult and unsafe.
iii. Defective/technical errors of the vehicles. Some vehicles may get technical errors while they are in motion like bursting of tires, brake failure and worn out vehicles. All these may lead to the road accidents.
iv. Absence of road traffic signs. The absence of road signs especially in the dangerous areas may lead to the road accidents
Consequences/Effects Of Road Accidents
i. May lead to permanent disabilities. Road accidents may result to the permanent disabilities to those victims of road accidents
ii. Occurrence of death of people resulted from the road accidents. May lead to the loss of life and severe injuries to the people who got accidents
iii. Destruction of properties resulted from road accidents. Due to the road accidents may lead to the damage of properties such as vehicles, motorcycles and bicycle
iv. Reduction of productive workers. Loss of productive workers in both public and private sectors due to the death resulted from road accidents
v. Increase of cost to treat the injured people. Large amount of money is spent to treat the victims of accident and repairing or replacing the damaged vehicles and other properties.
Prevention of Road Accidents
i. Provision of public education on road safety. All road users should be aware of traffic rules and use them accordingly
ii. Provision of heavy punishment to those who violate the rules of the road. Heavy punishment must be provided to those drivers and other road users who violate the rule and laws of the road like introduction of positive fines
iii. Prohibition the use of defective vehicles to some road users. Defective vehicles must be prohibit on the road to carry the passengers and luggage
iv. Maintenance of roads. Roads must be well maintained properly, especially earth roads and gravel roads which will provide smooth running of vehicles.
v. Regular check-up of the vehicles must be conducted properly. The traffic polices must conduct the regular check- up of the vehicles, especially the public services vehicles such as regional buses
Efforts made by Government of Tanzania To Reduce Road Accidents
i. There is limitations and controlling of the speed of the vehicles by installing Vehicles Tracking System (VTS). This device was installed to all public vehicles (regional passengers' buses) to control and limit the speed of the buses. Currently, all passengers' buses are required to travel with only 80 speeds to the non-residential areas and 50 speeds to the residential areas.
ii. There are frequent check-up and inspections of the vehicles. This is conducted and supervised by the traffic polices in many buses terminals in every region. The defective buses are not allowed to continue with the journey
iii. There is proper maintenance of the roads. The government through Tanzania Road Agency (TANROADS) and Tanzania rural and urban road agency (TARURA) succeeded to maintain many road networks in every parts of the country. Also most of the roads which are link one region and another are tarmac.
iv. There is the provision of punishment and penalties to the reckless drivers and some vehicle owners. There is the infliction of positive fines to be paid within seven days against the faults committed on the roads
v. There is provision of public education about road safety which is conducted by the traffic polices especially in the buses terminal before the departure of the buses. The passengers usually are required to report to a police station when there is a violation of rules and regulation of the road done by the drivers
vi. The provision of driving licenses is issued to the qualified drivers only who underwent the driving courses in the training institutions such VETA and NIT
QUESTIONS
1. Define the following terms.
a. Road safety education b. road. C. Road signs D. Road accident
2. Identify and explain the categories of road signs
3. Suppose you have been appointed by the Regional Traffic Officer (RTO) of Tanga region to explain why road safety education should be provided to all students at all levels. Which your five key points you consider?
4. Many roads in Tanzania are constructed with road signs, but the problem remains to the road users who are not obeying them. As Road Safety Ambassador in Tanzania, use five points to educated the road users on the significance of obeying these signs
5. Many road users are required to obey and follow the traffic signs in order to improve the road safety in a community. Highlights five consequences of failure of road users to obey road signs in Tanzania
6. The police traffic reports have given us a picture of the problem of road accidents in Tanzania. Suppose you are the road safety ambassador in Tanzania, assess five factors which lead to the increase of this problem in Tanzania
7. Consider yourself as an officer from Ministry for Home Affairs, explain to the community five factors that signify the impacts of road accidents in Tanzania
8. A recent report in one of the newspaper indicated the dreadful situation of the road safety in Tanzania. Suppose you are the Minister for Home Affairs, propose five key measures to improve road safety in the country
9. The report from the police traffic commissioner in Tanzania indicated that, the magnitude of road accidents in the country have been decreased a lot. In the light of this statement, assess five measures which are taken by the government of Tanzania which show the success to the reduction of the road accident in the country