25 May 2016

Road traffic accidents affecting Mahube Primary School children in Francistown have prompted the school’s Road Safety Club to collaborate with the Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) Fund.

With a number of busy roads passing by the school, the club coordinator, Ms Thato Ramasha, said Mahube Road Safety Club was formed last year amidst dangers caused by road traffic accidents.

“Upon realising that vehicles do not stop for pupils to cross the respective roads, especially in the mornings when traffic is high, we decided to take action,” she said.

Ms Ramasha said the club consists of students and teachers, and all the members help control traffic in the mornings for students to cross over to school safely.

She added that MVA Fund had provided the club with reflectors and cones, including sponsoring workshops for more information on how pedestrians can curb road accidents.

The road safety activist applauded the fund’s mobile traffic school crew to have honoured their request to visit the school for demonstrations.

“Students learn better through demonstrations and what they have learnt will forever be in their minds, which will help them make wiser decisions on the roads.

A Standard Seven student, Pako Baadjies, expressed her gratitude, noting that the presentation would benefit her as she was not aware of some of the road signs and the techniques of using the road.

“I have learnt the techniques of protecting myself from road accidents such as putting on the safety belt, putting on a helmet when I am using a bicycle and also obeying road signs,” she said.

Ms Baadjies said she would take the knowledge wherever she goes; she advised other students to always play it safe on the roads and safe their lives.

A graduate trainee in the Department of Injury Prevention at MVA Fund, Ms Opelang Molapo said Mahube was one of the primary schools they have adopted.

She said since the fund’s crew was in Francistown for the Northern Trade Fair, they dedicated some of their resources to interact with schools.

Ms Molapo said they used the mobile traffic school to reinforce the practical aspect of the road safety in general with positive response from students and teachers.

She encouraged schools to have road safety clubs and also invite them to sensitise students on the road safety as they cater for all Batswana to help reduce escalating statistics of road accidents.ENDS