A STRONGER road safety culture must begin with children who are already exposed to risks as pedestrians, passengers and cyclists, says the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
The authority made the call on Friday during the launch of Road Safety Day at the Suva Seventh-day Adventist Primary School in Lami.
Road Safety Education manager Watilala Fonu said children needed to understand that their decisions on the road could affect the safety of others.
“Students are already road users, whether they are walking, travelling as passengers or cycling, and it is important that they understand how their actions can contribute to safer roads,” she said.
“Schools provide an important platform for engaging students and encouraging them to take road safety messages beyond the classroom and share them with their families and communities.”
The event, held in partnership with CJ Patel (Pacific) Pte Ltd, was themed “Road Safety Starts with Me – My Safety, My Future”.
Fiji’s men’s and women’s 7s rugby players, Fiji Police Force representatives and students from neighbouring schools attended the event. Ms Fonu said young people could become road safety ambassadors by practising and promoting safer behaviour among their peers, families and communities.
“Road safety requires the commitment of every road user and cannot be achieved through enforcement alone,” she added.
“Every road user has a role to play. Whether we are driving, walking, cycling or travelling as passengers, our decisions matter. We encourage students to learn, share and practise safe road behaviour every day.”
The program also featured a Road Safety Bulletin Board Competition for students from Kindergarten to Year 8.
CJ Patel distributed Fun Flavour, Weet-Bix and milk refreshments to students.
