HUNDREDS of South Durban pupils were injured and at least 33 were killed in road and rail related accidents in the last three years, so a partnership between the municipality and local businesses aims to educate school children for their own safety.
A May road show will visit 30 schools in Merebank, Wentworth, Lamontville and Umlazi – all of which are within high accident zones.
Organised by representatives from the eThekwini Transport Authority (ETA), the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), Engen, Mondi and Sapref, the road show will include interactive presentations that highlight road and rail safety.
Engen communications co-ordinator, Thabisile Gumede said almost 600 children under the age of 14 were involved in road traffic accidents in these areas in the last three years. “Statistics from the ETA show the majority of these children were pedestrians and many were on their way to or from school.
Twenty-eight pupils were killed, 170 were seriously injured and another 350 children were slightly injured while walking along and crossing roads. Some 50 children were also injured as passengers in road accidents during this period and five died as a result of their injuries. Throughout eThekwini, pedestrians aged five to nine are most commonly involved in road accidents.
During the same period, youngsters were injured in train accidents, either as a result of crossing railway lines or train surfing,” she said.
A competition will be held in conjunction with the awareness campaign, which aims to teach children how to be safe road and rail users.
