Traffic Safety
Traffic safety concept aims to adopt all plans, programs and traffic regulations in addition to preventive procedures to reduce the traffic accidents to ensure human safety and his properties, in addition to maintain the country’ human and economic components.
The elements of traffic safety
Traffic safety concept consists of the following three elements:
- Vehicle: carry out the necessary and periodic maintenance for the vehicles such as: check the front and rear lights, windshield wipers, check the foot and manual brakes, the tire pressure, clean the front and rear glass in addition to check the steering.
- Road: through cooperation with private and government institutions to protect the road from any obstacles or constructional works that hinder the traffic on road when its occur the should be provided with the necessary signs to maintain the public safety and the road users should increase their attention while crossing constructed road.
- Human element: it divided into two sections:
- Drivers: (driver is the person who drive one of vehicles of the public road and he is committed to implement the traffic rules while using the road).
- Pedestrians: (pedestrians are individuals and groups who are using the roads and streets on foot).
Traffic accidents are still claim the lives of many pedestrians since we are all use the road as pedestrians we should help each other we need to feel safe on roads in our cities. Traffic accidents are one of the most serious problems we have no doubt that the mutual cooperation between the drivers and pedestrians will help to enhance the safety opportunities on road.
Most roads consist of crossing walk, sidewalks, safety islands, pedestrians crossing paths. And traffic light and signs which help to direct the traffic movement and separate between the pedestrians and the traffic movement but these engineering controls failed in preventing the pedestrians accidents. There are also two additional factors that affect pedestrians safety: the drivers’ behavior and the pedestrians behaviors.
The Responsibilities of Pedestrians
Walk along the pavement or on the left side of the road facing incoming incoming vehicles to be able to see the incoming cars easily, and the drivers can see you. In the evening, wear reflective clothes or light coloured bright which can be seen by the drivers clearly.
Cross the road from the designated crossing areas and watch the traffic movement. Do not cross unless you confirm the cross safety. You should cross the road from the pedestrians crossing. Do not cross from the middle of the sidewalk, and drivers more alert from the pedestrians at the designated crossing areas.
Watch the traffic light signs, don’t cross until the traffic light is green or when the word “cross” is flashed. Wait at the a sidewalk when the light traffic is red or when it flashed (Do not Cross).
- The Responsibilities of the Drivers
The driver is responsible for allowing the pedestrians to cross the road safely. Remember that you are inside a metal body while the pedestrians are exposed to risk and there is nothing protecting them.
The following points will help you to secure the pedestrians’ safety while driving:
- Obey the traffic lights and warning signs and signals.
- Stop at pedestrians crossing, give them the priority to cross, slow down when you approach the intersections and pay attention to pedestrians especially children and elderly people.
- Do not exceed the speed limit, slow down when you approach the school zone or playgrounds, and residential neighborhoods streets.
Family is the first school of the child. It has a vital role in achieving safety by increasing traffic awareness concepts in their child to protect their life to ensure the prosperity of society who represent its future.
Parents have a major responsibilities to increase the traffic awareness among their children. The children are impulsive and they may not understand the road danger.
In this sense, care of the child’ safety and increase his traffic awareness are the duty of all family members, so they should supervise his behaviors and prevent him to play in dangerous places and they should advise him to do the following:
- Play away from public road.
- Not to play among vehicles.
- Not to play football or other game near the road.
- Not to play between the trees At the public road.
School is the place where students receive education and science in different field and it has a very important role in increasing the traffic awareness and to contribute effectively to achieve the traffic safety:
- Students more accidents prone than others.
- They always cross the road from dangerous place.
- Parents should train their children how to cross the road and they should not play on the designated lanes for the vehicles movement , they should be also aware about the traffic danger on road.
- Courage school to visit the traffic parks continually.
School must teach students the traffic rules and increase their traffic awareness to preserve his safety. It helps them to recognize and understand the requirements of traffic safety by teaching them how to behave while getting in and out the vehicles.
