Pretoria - The Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) is taking its road safety campaign to schools in a bid to reduce the number of road accidents and promote the correct use of road infrastructure.
JRA spokesperson Nkosana Lekotjolo said the objective of the campaign was to make children of Johannesburg aware of road safety issues from an early age and to influence their future behaviour as drivers of vehicles or pedestrians.
"The JRA's Road Safety unit is currently focusing on schools in areas where safety measures have been introduced through the Community Ward Based Road Safety Plan. These safety measures include the building of scholar patrol crossing, road signs, sidewalks, speed humps and guardrails," said Lekotjolo.
Schools recently visited included Qoqa Secondary School, Tshepana Primary School and Govan Mbeki Primary School, all in Orange Farm.
During the visits, the children are encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions about safety issues.
"The objective is to make them road safety ambassadors and to spread positive messages about responsible behaviour on the roads to the wider community," Lekotjolo said, adding that the JRA's school campaign will also include a growing number of schools in the city to teach young ones how to stay safe on the road.
The JRA is also involved in a number of road safety campaigns to educate residents of Johannesburg, especially school children on all aspects of road safety including the safe use of road infrastructure, the reduction and ultimate eradication of vandalism to road infrastructure as well as the promotion of the community ownership of road infrastructure.
More than 13 000 people die on South African roads every year, with almost a third being pedestrians.
