Group calls for safer driving to protect children

A public interest law group on Sunday called on motorists to practice safer driving to prevent road-related accidents that at times involve children.

During the Department of Health’s (DOH) Pista ng Kalusugan event at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, ImagineLaw disclosed that at least 1,670 children and youth in the country are killed by road crashes every year.

ImagineLaw project manager for road safety Daphne Marcelo likened road crashes to an “epidemic that kills our children,” citing a case of a five-year-old who was killed by a passing truck in Taguig last month.

“Hindi pwedeng hari-harian sa kalsada [we should not act like kings on the road]… We need to learn how to build a community and a road system that protect vulnerable road users, especially children,” she added.

ImagineLaw, along with representatives from the DOH and the Department of Education (DepEd), thus reminded drivers to “share the road and stop for children” by observing traffic rules, driving under the speed limit, and abiding by road safety policies.

“We need to work together in building a set of solutions to end this epidemic: safer driving behavior, better infrastructure for pedestrians, commuters, and drivers, and strict and sensible enforcement of traffic rules,” Marcelo said. — BM, GMA Integrated News