Road safety is an issue that worries the entire world. That’s why different organizations promote communication campaigns to create consciousness on the scale of the problem. One of those entities is the FIA, whose foundation develops programs oriented to improve road safety.
In Latin America –especially in Argentina- the situation is extremely alarming since the number of fatalities in road accidents increases year after year. The Automovil Club Argentino, which in turn is part of FIA, is strongly committed to promote initiatives that help to create consciousness and generate more safety for everybody. Convinced that the greater part of this disaster can be fought with education, the club has decided to start the Traveling program for the Road Safety Education, a new comprehensive proposal prepared by our experts and addressed to the whole community. It will cover the national territory from north to south and from east to west so that we can all contribute in generating safer conditions and becoming more respectful drivers.
Objective: total safety
The essential goal of the program is to disseminate the basis of road safety among all the sectors comprising the community, including the non drivers. This is essential because the starting point must be the certainty that all of us are responsible in the matter of road safety and all of us are part of the public road. The approach to the program includes talks and courses for children, teenagers, adults, teachers, local transit inspectors, police, trainers and specific groups. Special attention will be paid to the sector from ages 16 to 30, the one that suffers the most road accidents.
All around the country and for all the inhabitants
The traveling program will run across 90 cities, especially chosen, whose population exceeds the 50.000 inhabitants per city. It has been anticipated that a direct or indirect contact will be made with more than 20 million people.
Six different circuits to take place within 18 months have been planned and the distance to cover goes from Ushuaia to Tartagal. To that end, a mobile classroom has been set up -a Midlum 300 DXI Excellence truck- provided by Renault Trucks Aergentina to the ACA. It has room for 30 students and can carry a moving children’s park.
Cada programa fue diseñado de acuerdo con el público para el que está destinado:
- ACAito represents the identifying image of the program proposed to children.
- Adults will receive information, suggestions and an invitation to think proposals that could improve road safety
- Local transit inspectors and policemen will receive instructions about their crucial role in the public road. On the other hand, they shall be provided with all the information available about legislation and prevention on road accidents.
- Teachers will receive contents to instruct their students about road education. And trainers will attend courses that will allow them to illustrate future educators on the subject.
Graphic material and CD
Last year’s technological evolution imposes new habits to handle the information. Therefore, through the Traveling Program, 40.000 CDs will be distributed in all the schools of the country. Those CDs will have different contents according to the activities of each age. Graphic material with hints and suggestions about safe driving will also be provided.
On the other hand, each city council will receive tools for statistical evaluation, to work on the safety index evolutions.
The circuits
The Traveling Program for the Road Safety Education includes six major circuits: Central Buenos Aires, Cuyo and the NOA; NOE; South Buenos Aires; North and Central Patagonia; AMBA and the surroundings; outside cities (to arrive by plane) and the City of Buenos Aires.
Up to now, from the central circuit, Cuyo and NOA: Chivilcoy, Junin, Rio Cuarto, Villa Mercedes and San Luis Capital have been performed. Also Avellaneda y Quilmes from AMBA cicuit and surroundigns. The layout of the maps will show you the tour of each circuit as well as the date of arrival to each city. |
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The more educated, the safer
Several years ago, the ACA started helping schools with regard to road education with the purpose of promoting responsible behaviors and develop interest in the public highway as a bond of union and progress in the community. Fifth year students, future divers, receive the essential contents they must know before obtaining the license: current legislation, traffic regulating elements, safety devices of the vehicle, preventing measures, etc. Undoubtedly, this issue demands that the whole society gets involved in the process of becoming aware of the seriousness of the problem. Unfortunately, the statistics speak for themselves: with regard to road education everybody has something to learn and something to contribute. All together must contribute to build a safety public roadway.
Children’s Traffic Park
Let’s play seriously
Inspired by initiatives that have been performed successfully in other countries, this park represents on a children scale, a public road. With a teaching view –not to exclude the recreational pleasure- the children drive their small vehicles making contact with all the elements involved in a public road: other drivers, pedestrians, traffic signs, bicycles, etc.
The park reproduces almost exactly the conditions exhibited by the modern transit. The vertical and horizontal signs have their suitable position and keep the correct proportion. The urban and rural traffic is also kept in mind.
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