Currently, you would find many underage children in Indonesia drive a car or ride a motorcycle on the road. Some parents consider this as normal. The fact is that driving a car for a child is very risky. Parents’ role is absolutely required to educate traffic safety to prevent accidents among children.
This was said by Head of Safety and Security of Yogyakarta Traffic Directorate, AKBP Kristiono, in a Seminar titled Improvement of Transportation Safety for Children in Yogyakarta on Friday (15/7) at the University Club UGM, which is a collaboration between Magister Sistem dan Teknik Transportasi UGM and Gachon University Korea. Speakers from UGM, Gachon University, and Yogyakarta Traffic Police Office, and Transportation Agency discuss problems and solution on transportation safety for children.
He saw that underage drivers are one important problem related to transportation safety for children. He mentioned four reasons to this problem: ease to purchase vehicle, weak family control, lack of public transport, and unwillingness of parents to take their children to school.
On the other hand, Head of Institute for Safety Education from Gachon University, Prof. Heo Uk, said transportation accidents in Korea were a big problem two decades ago. In 1990 the number of children died in traffic accidents reached 1600, but the number decreased by 49.4% in 1995, and even down to 65 children in 2015.
“The success of Korea to reduce traffic accident among children lies in the improvement of education and legal aspects, facilities, and support and participation from companies and public agencies,” he said.
He emphasised the commitment of parents to educate and give good example related to traffic best practice, between pedestrians, pedestrians and drivers, and between drivers. He further stated the Gachon University’s commitment to establish a cooperation with UGM in a bid to reduce traffic accidents among children in Yogyakarta to the implementation of Korean Way plan in 2017 that will last for three years.