The goal is to spread public awareness on road safety among children. Although they are still too young to drive, children between 6 and 10 years of age are entitled to be properly educated about road safety, so as to become safer when using and being close to roads and to help prevent injuries or fatalities in the process.

UNIFIL's civil affairs section, in collaboration with Kunhadi, the Lebanese NGO that is committed to promoting youth awareness on road safety, along with the Tanzanian, and Italian military police organized a two-day campaign on road safety in Tyre. The workshops were held at the Co-educational Second Intermediate Public School, AlMasaken Ashaabiyah Public School- Tyre, Second Mixed Public Intermediate School in Bint Jubayl, and Abdul Latif Saad Public Intermediate School in Bint Jubayl.

This campaign focused on the considerable risks associated with road use, particularly detecting the presence of traffic and judging the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles.

Mrs. Lena Gibran, Kunhadi's vice president explained to the children how to act when present in a moving car, when crossing the road, and most importantly when getting in or out of the school bus.

The presentation included three short movies that explained the safety measures in an interactive manner. The movies identified the potential danger and risks, thus presenting the children with safe alternatives.

"We are very pleased to work with UNIFIL in this campaign; we actually completed each other's work today. Kunhadi presented the awareness principles while UNIFIL implemented a real exercise with the children" said Mrs. Gebran.

The children easily grasped the road safety instructions. Soon after the first short movie ended, they were able to read some of the road signs and act accordingly. Souaad and Sara explained that they learned many new things about road safety. Souad now knows that she shouldn't run in front or behind any moving car or bus.Sara became aware that she should always have her seat belt on even if she is sitting in the back seat of the car.

Hassan also learned the road signs, and so did Baraaa' and Cedra who now know that, for example,one should never pick up a ball from under a car if it is still running.

The director of the Tyre Co-educational Second Intermediate Public School, Mr. Ali Harouss, lauded the guidelines given by Kunhadi. "Our children will be able from now on to identify road signs and regulations and even advice their parents on road safety" said Harouss.

He added that the cooperation with UNIFIL is extremely useful, and on more than one level.

"Children should learn from this tender age the road safety rules and regulations in order to prepare them for the future and decrease the accident rates in our area of operations" explained Major Silvario Lukassi Pingrinonte from the Tanzanian battalion's traffic section of UNIFIL.

Lt. Col Pietra Netra, from the Provost Marshal of UNIFIL, reiterated that the aim is to raise road safety awareness in the area of operations in order to decrease the number of fatalities and injuries caused by road accidents.

The road safety campaign is set to continue and focus next on teenagers in different schools throughout the South in an effort to raise awareness and help decrease traffic related accidents.

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Photos: Pascual Gorriz Marcos
Video Producer/Editor: Suzane Badereddine
Video Camera Operator: Mohamad Hamze
Graphics: Zeina Ezzeddine
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