Road Safety Norms added in curriculum of schools in Sindh
Karachi:20 October: A subject, ‘Road Safety Norms’, has been added in the curriculum of
schools in Sindh. The new subject was introduced by the education department in collaboration with the Karachi traffic police.
Work on the new subject started during the tenure of former DIG Traffic Imran Yaqoob Minhas. The duty for preparing a coursebook on the subject was assigned to Mohammad Idrees Bhatti, reader of the Karachi traffic police.
Talking to The News, Bhatti said the book had been designed with the aim to educate and sensitise the younger generation, particularly the schoolchildren, to the necessity of observing road safety norms as such rules help save human lives.
More people are killed in traffic accidents in the city than any other kind of accidents. Statistics reveal that Karachi has the fourth highest number of road traffic accidents (RTA) fatalities in the world. More than 26,000 road accidents occur in the city annually, which is an alarming figure.
Human error is considered one of the major factors that cause road accidents. According to the recent study, 82.84 per cent accidents take place due to human errors which include rash and negligent driving, over-speeding, one-wheeling, wrong-way driving, signal jumping, disobeying traffic signs, driving while being drunk, changing lanes without using indicators and using mobile phones while driving.
Bhatti lamented that many youths in Pakistan were attracted to one-wheeling, considering that it was a heroic act. Without wearing helmets, they often carried out dangerous stunts on roads like lying flat on moving motorcycles, standing on motorcycles and driving while their backs faced the handle.
Syllabus contents
The coursebook contains theoretical discussion on roads and traffic rules as well as guidelines for both pedestrians and drivers.
The theoretical discussion includes topics such as various colours of road lines and their significance, difference between roads and lanes, etc. The book tells students that a white line on a road means that the driver can change the lane if it is safe to do so, whereas, a yellow line serves as the divider of a road meant for two-way traffic.
The course also strives to inculcate courtesy in students. The book teaches students that courtesy costs nothing and is a reward in itself. Schoolchildren have also been instructed in the book to anticipate actions of other people on the roads. Every pedestrian or driver on roads must be prepared for others’ mistakes.
The book directs the students to avoid playing on or near roads. It also aims at familarising them with all the traffic signs. Other contents in the coursebook include norms of standing on footpaths, rules of crossing roads and avoiding jaywalk.
Awareness about zebra crossings is low in our society. The book intends to educate students on zebra crossings. It tells them that pedestrians have the right of way on zebra crossings but nevertheless they should allow sufficient time to approaching vehicles to pass and must keep a lookout to their right and left as they cross.
The course also aims at educating students on how to get in and out of buses. It tells children not to alight from a bus when it is in motion or stuck in a traffic jam and leave the bus only when it has stopped at a recognised stop. The coursebook also touches upon the rules of etiquette in buses. Students have been told not to push others while getting into or alighting from buses.
Regarding drivers, the coursebook tells students that they should be physically and mentally fit before they drive on roads. No one should drive in fatigue or intoxicated state as fatique, alcohol and drugs impair the power of concentration and sense of caution.
Rules of moving off, changing lanes, overtaking, turning, slowing down and opening doors of vehicles have also been included in the subject.
The course also includes the theme of vehicle fitness. According to the book, drivers should make sure that their vehicles are in a satisfactory condition. They should also frequently check brakes, tyres and direction indicators. Wind screens and windows should also be kept clean and clear.
The subject also discourages students from unnecessarily using horns. Schoolchildren have been taught in the book that horns should only be used when somebody is violating traffic safety rules. The course also teaches them to observe silence zones.
The book also includes ‘fill in the blanks’ section. ‘When on a motorcycle, scooter, always wear a ___’ and ‘Slow moving vehicles must keep to extreme___side’ are some of the sentences in which students are required to demonstrate their learning by filling in the blank space.The news.
