:: Increasing Traffic Awareness ::

General description of the project:

This project aims at increasing traffic awareness among schoolchildren in the West Bank through the provision of educational sessions and the formation of Road Safety Teams in the schools that can prevent the students from being subjected to traffic accidents, especially during their arrival to and departure from school, as well as training of teachers to become trainers in road safety issues and able to form school teams.

Conditions and justifications for selecting this project:

The present project is considered of special importance in light of the increasing number of road accidents, taking the lives of over 300 persons per year and causing injuries to thousands, including those who suffer of permanent disabilities. These figures are among the highest worldwide, particularly in such as small society with a population of about 3 millions.

Unfortunately, traffic awareness has not been on the agenda of Palestinian institutions. To the best of our knowledge, no projects are being currently implemented in this regard by relevant governmental agencies or NGOs. Traffic awareness is not listed among the list of priorities for PNA ministries, such as Ministry of Local Governance, Ministry of Pubic Works, and Ministry of Health. Although Ministry of Education has exhibited interest in including road safety issues within extracurricular activities in its schools, such step is still pending, mainly due to lack of funds and expertise.

 Project’s goal and objectives

Goal:

By increasing students’ traffic awareness, to reduce the incidence of road accidents, especially in areas close to schools, and consequently limit the numbers of resulting deaths, injuries and disabilities.

 Objectives:

1.To train teachers from different West Bank schools in training of trainers courses on road safety issues and traffic awareness techniques.

2. To train students to be school leaders for their peers and younger children in their schools in traffic awareness issues.

3. To support the formation of traffic-safety school teams consisting of  students with a task to watch and promote students’ safety on the road.

4.  Provide follow up to the trained teachers and students at the beginning of each school year in order to ensure sustainability.