TRAFFIC EDUCATION
By: Sonia das Graças Oliveira Silva
Along with homeland and spring celebrations, September also brings something else. We currently have national traffic week. It is a time of population awareness for traffic. And the issue is very important, given the fantastic number of accidents that occur every day, in all Brazilian cities.
Education must start early. The impression we have is that the individual only begins to worry about traffic information when it is time to “get a driver’s license”. Then, it’s that rush, theoretical classes, traffic legislation, practical classes, everything very fast because he needs his license. You learn everything at once, everything memorized, something you forget very quickly.
Truly, traffic is part of our lives. But, unfortunately, the importance given to this subject does not seem so great. Every day we watch reports on TV about traffic accidents. It is said that the number of dead increases every day, but everything remains the same.
We are used to hearing about accidents on the news, but we don’t know those people who died and then everything is forgotten. Within a few seconds, we no longer know what the reporter was talking about.
People die every year, especially on the long holidays. The rush to get there, alcohol consumed moments before driving, inattention behind the wheel, cars in terrible conditions of use, bumpy roads, in short, everything leads to horrible accidents, many times, with children being victims of irresponsible adults. And then I ask: what’s missing? Traffic education? Start teaching about traffic early?
Society is concerned about this issue. The increase in the number of vehicles on the streets is also a matter of concern. Some cities have already reached an absurd number of vehicles on the streets. The problem is that many cities are not prepared to support this change. This large number of vehicles causes an unbridled race in the training of new drivers, which can lead to a greater number of new drivers, without much experience, driving vehicles on the streets.
And, to make matters worse, this air crisis, which made many people leave the planes and hit the road by bus or in their own car. It would be great if everyone, when taking their cars out of the garage, thought about taking more people, that is, taking a friend, relative, co-workers, schoolmates, in short, increasing the number of people in vehicles, reducing the number of cars on the streets , with one person. Even the environment benefits from this, as it will reduce polluting gases.
Much has been said about safety for children, but nowadays, even the sidewalks are posing a danger. It is not uncommon to hear in the news: “child run over on the sidewalk” or “run over on the side of the road”. It is a true urban war, where cars, for some, represent freedom and status and, from time to time, are used irresponsibly, by drunk drivers or very sleepy when leaving the clubs.
It is not enough to signal public roads, or put radars on the avenues, it is necessary to educate for traffic. Parents, when leaving home with their children in the car, must act responsibly, respecting traffic laws and passing this on to their children. Undoubtedly, our behavior influences children and, all of us, at some point, are pedestrians too and, someday, sooner or later, our children will be drivers of some vehicle and will be subject to various dangers.
We know that an example coming from an adult is worth more than many words and children easily learn what they see. So we have to let them see only what is right. Our attitudes are copied by our children, so it is not difficult to educate for traffic, it is enough for us to stop breaking the laws.
It is necessary to put an end to these daily accidents, because with that, many times, we lose future doctors, scientists, athletes, or future presidents, in a stupid way, in situations that, in general, could be avoided.