Road Safety Tips

SAFE WAY RIGHT WAY PARTNERS WITH 12 ALBERTINE SCHOOLS IN TREE PLANTING.

At safe way right way, we take issues pertaining road safety to be very important, but that in itself is not an end to what we stand for, neither is it the limit to our interventionist activities. Our goal is to create safer roads for Africa, and we recognize the role played by education in the creation of safer roads through fundamental sensitisation on road transport systems, means and safety.

In the education arena, it has been recognised that a conducive and soothing school environment is a critical learning factor psychologically and practically for the learners and their educators alike. On that note, Safe Way Right Way hain the previous week undertaken a task of donating over 1920 tree seedlings to 9 primary schools in the Albertine region district of Buliisa. These were mainly aimed, on the one hand, at being used to improve the school environment by way of beautifying the surroundings and also creating more shade and on the other hand, at enhancing the students learning and study through responsible tree nurturing by the students themselves.

On Thursday 2nd May 2024, Safe Way Right Way conducted launch activity for tree planting in schools at kisansya Primary School and a total number of about 900 People attended the function. Different tree species were given out which included griveria (800 seedlings), Musizi (500 seedlings), Albizia/Musiseye (430 seedlings), Jack fruits (160 seedlings) and Oranges (30 seedlings) and total of 1920 tree seedlings were distributed to 9 schools in Kigwera subcounty, Ngwedo subcounty and Wanseko Town council.

After the launch activity tree, seedlings were distributed to the different schools as follows: Kisansya p/s = 251 seedlings; Kilima p/s = 175 seedlings; Ndandamire p/s =225 seedlings; Wanseko p/s = 130 seedlings; Kirama p/s = 220 seedlings; Kisomere p/s = 240 seedlings; Avogera p/s = 245 seedlings; Ngwedo p/s =234 seedlings; and Kibambura p/s = 200 seedlings.

The launch was attended by the District Community Development officer for Buliisa District, District Forestry Officer for Buliisa District, Total energies team, Inspector of schools for Buliisa District, Chairperson PTA kisansya P/S, Headteacher kisansya P/S, Deputy headteacher kisansya, Teachers and Pupils. These stakeholders echoed various messages, but most importantly requested school administration to take care of trees planted to improve school environment; encouraged the schools administration to allocate trees to Pupils to enable them take charge of these trees in order to grow well and, they further appreciated Total Energies and Safe Way Right Way for the several school fencings offered to the community schools as a road safety measure.

Enhancing Road Safety through Education : The VIA training of trainers Initiative.

The VIA – Global Road Safety Education is a collaborative project supported by Total Energies, Michelin Corporate Foundation, Global Road Safety Partnerships, and Safe Way Right Way Uganda. For over two years Safe Way Right Way has spearheaded the implementation of this project to achieve a paradigm shift in Uganda’s road safety culture, particularly among young people between the ages of 8-18. Additionally, the Uganda police report (2022) revealed that 650 Children had died as a result of road crashes, 395 of the were male and 255 female.

*Safe Way Right Way Via educator with pupils in the Albertine region*.

The rationale behind focusing on young children is clear: they often lack adequate understanding of road safety upon starting school, possess limited risk awareness, and are susceptible to danger. It is more important because the children are the future citizens of an expectedly highly motorized Uganda, hence the immediate need to ensure behavioural change, if we are to create a crash free future.

Through the VIA project, Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers. The dedication and unwavering support of the 169 teachers from 138 schools in the Albertine region and Kampala have built a strong and sustainable model foundation for the project implementation.

“Safe Way Right Way has reached 50,000 students and seen the establishment of 20 road safety clubs in schools through the 169 VIA educators that were trained as road safety trainers”

Following the 2 years implementation of the project, SWRW organized a refresher training in the Albertine Districts of Hoima, Kikuube, Buliisa, Nwoya, Pakwach, and Hoima City . This training lasted for a week, covering various aspects crucial to enhancing road safety education.

*Safe Way Right Way Via Educators refresher training* in Hoima city.

*Some of the Via Educators sharing a photo moment with Safe Way Right Way Staff*

The training sessions commenced in Hoima district on January 29, 2024, followed by Kikuube, Buliisa, Pakwach, and Nwoya districts on subsequent days. The trainingworkshops were facilitated by SWRW staff and they included sessions on road signs, markings, urban traffic guidelines, general traffic rules, and necessary precautions. a presentation on road assessment findings shed light on prevalent risks, such as poorly designed roads, missing signage, and increased traffic in the Albertine region. During these sessions, stakeholders expressed their appreciation for the project’s efforts and provided valuable feedback for improvement.

In Hoima district, Ms. Asiimwe Harriet, the inspector of schools, commended Safe Way Right Way for targeting children in road safety initiatives and urged continued implementation with a focus on addressing reporting issues. In Pakwach district, Mr. Comixx praised the project’s impact and urged its extension to more schools, suggesting more approaches like installing talking compounds to reinforce road safety messages.

*Hoima Inspector of schools, Ms.Asiimwe, speaking at the refresher training in Hoima City.*

Mr.Comixx addressing the Via Refresher trainees in Pakwach District.

The VIA educators highlighted various challenges, including the lack of respect from motorists for safety measures like flags/lollipops used by teachers to help the pupils cross the roads, limited time for project implementation due to conflicting schedules, and disruptions caused by teacher transfers.

In conclusion, Safe Way Right Way views road safety education as a crucial step in enhancing road safety especially among young people. With over 1.3 million road fatalities recorded annually worldwide, predominantly in low-income countries, proactive education initiatives like VIA are essential. (WHO 2023)

SAFE WAY RIGHT WAY INTERVERNES AT UGANDA SOCIETY OF THE DEAF

Road Safety is now an international growing concern as road crashes are now taken among the first five causes of death globally. It follows that low and middle-income countries share this burden unproportionally as compared to their counterparts but worse still, is the egregious fact that minority groups such as the disabled bare an unproportionally higher burden even in the vulnerable countries.

At Safe Way Right Way, we have made it crystal clear that inclusivity is a bedrock principle for Safe Way Right Way, underscoring our works and interventions. This is not merely an obligatory escapade; rather, we appreciate that transportation is an inescapable part of our lives, entailing associated risks.

In our ongoing effort to create safer roads, Safe Way Right Way, as part of the VIA – the road safety project targeting school going children conducted road safety awareness sessions at the Uganda Society of the Deaf in Namirembe. SWRW cognizant of the unique challenges the pupils who have hearing impairments face, partnered with the school to implement the interventions on road safety. The enthusiasm of the learners and the teachers to learn and share experiences on road safety was a sight to behold – they appreciated the need to use the road responsibly. Road safety, a widely dualistic categorization between motorists and pedestrians, unfortunately tends to overlook other vulnerable groups like children and persons with disabilities.

Persons with hearing impairments, and indeed other disability categories, occupy a unique position, especially in contemporary times when developing countries embark on their road safety behavioral changes. The interaction with the students revealed their depth of understanding of road safety risks, distractions, proper pedestrian behaviour including annual road fatality rates worldwide and in Uganda, information they had obtained from the road safety trainers SWRW trained. The pupils expressed concerns about the heightened risks they face as pedestrians and cyclists with hearing impairment and appreciated SWRW for providing reflector jackets that will make them visible and easily identifiable by other road users.

We are confident that this intervention aligns with the theme of this year’s International Week of the Deaf: “A world where deaf people can sign anywhere.” Recognizing that signing requires acknowledgment, these jackets contribute to the foundational language goal.

During the handover ceremony, Rodgers, a student, remarked, “The reflector vests will make us visible on the road. Being seen clearly by drivers ensures our safety.” jackets” Jamila added that the jackets would be crucial at night, especially during intense traffic, aiding drivers in identifying individuals. This holds particular importance for pedestrians with hearing impairments.

Isaac Lukyamuzi their teacher appreciated Safe Way Right Way’s gesture, noting its timeliness as the students were breaking off for holidays. Emphasizing the importance of treating individuals with disabilities equitably in road safety, he highlighted the significance of providing services that ensure their safety without added concerns.

Road safety is a huge challenge in Uganda more so for people with disabilities, the traffic and road safety act has disability inclusive provisions but it has not really taken effect. The government should be intentional about interventions that address the plight of people living with disabilities. There is also need to sensitize the public to take responsibility, exercise caution, and improve road user behaviour,road habits, especially with students returning from school. The duty owed by drivers to pedestrians is high, but it’s even higher towards children and persons with disabilities. The reflector jackets, we argue, equip road users with an additional means to fulfil their duty as we collectively strive for safer roads in Africa.