The students in Moldova can put forward ideas concerning security in traffic and road traffic education and can get 250 and 1,000 Swiss francs (over 5,000 lei and over 20,000 lei) in financing. The contest of road education projects in schools entitled “10 minutes of road traffic education a day saves your life. Act!” was launched by the Moldovan-Swiss project “REPEMOL – Regionalization of Pediatric Emergency and Intensive Care Services in the Republic of Moldova” in cooperation with the National Patrolling Inspectorate, IPN reports.
Mirela Mustata, international expert within the REPEMOL project, told the journalists that this contest will be presented in six lyceums this school year. Afterward, there will be involved more schools. The students are urged to think about community problems and problems related to road safety and to see what solutions they can propose to them. The organizers do not submit proposals or suggestions as the students are encouraged to initiate projects themselves.
The project will provide six prizes of 1,000 Swiss francs each and more prizes of 250 Swiss francs each for projects that will conquer by their creativity, innovative ideas, different design, etc. The ideas can be based on particular components, such as use of the child safety seat, the home-school road and dangers that can be met on it, road traffic education and correct use of crosswalks, use of protection equipment when roller skating and riding a bike.
Uliana Catana, press officer of the National Patrolling Inspectorate, said this is a pilot project covering six lyceums that faced road accidents involving children and are located near national and international roads. Parents, residents of communities and police officers will also be involved in the project.
The National Patrolling Inspectorate expects that this project will contribute to reducing the number of accidents, especially those involving children. According to the traffic police, more than 200 children were involved in road accidents in the first nine months of this year. Of them, 12 died. The teens are more exposed to dangers because they listen to music, write SMSes or play on the phone when crossing the street and are thus not attentive.
Elena Partac, student of the Lyceum “Spiru Haret”, where the contest was launched, said the road risks are very great and she knows that many of her lyceum mates do not know all the rules. This project will help disseminate relevant information. The student said she would like special road education classes to be taught at school.
Dan-Iulian Chisaru, student of the same lyceum, said that such a project is welcome as the problem of road accidents is extensive in Moldova and all the people should be familiarized with the traffic rules. Last year, he also took part in a road education project of REPEMOL, within an event during which the students distributed red and green candies to pedestrians who crossed the street legally and rebuked those who jaywalked.
The winning student projects will be implemented by the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
