"Child safety stumbles on city roads"

Press release - NCC ‘Traffic Control Week' by Hindustan Times

Dtd. November 19, 2007

"Child Safety stumbles on city roads"

Harish Ahuja thinks walking on the road with his grand-daughter will never be the same after the toddler slipped into an open manhole and bruised herself : "It is frightening when roads near parks and schools take years to construct".

Walking on streets is hazardous for a child, with 45 per cent of child injuries occurring on roads; 92.5 per cent of these are head injuries, according to a survey.

Safe Kids Foundation, an international non-government organization working on its first project in India, conducted the first phase of an ongoing survey that began this April by speaking to 80 people including doctors, police, traffic and fire department officials. Hawkers and dug up roads were found to be the main causes behind accidents.

"Children in India are vulnerable to traffic injuries because for most walking is the primary means of travelling," said Mahendra Mehta, a trustee of the foundation. "As vehicle numbers increase, rise in traffic-related fatalities is expected."

"In our hospital, there is an average of four child deaths every year because of road accidents and four injury admissions everyday," said Dr. Pravin Shengare, dean of JJ Hospital. Cars, jeeps and taxis caused the most injuries (40 per cent) followed by two wheelers (23 per cent).

About 70 per cent of respondents said that parents were also responsible. "We have published a book on road safety for teachers to make it part of the syllabus. In two weeks, we will train NCC cadets on road safety," said S.S. Solunke, Dy. Commissioner of Traffic Police.