The number of traffic accidents in children in Indonesia is still high. This is caused by several factors, including the children usually not wearing a helmet, the driver violating traffic regulation and the driver not respecting the pedestrian. In order to reduce the number of traffic accidents in children, Universitas Gadjah Mada builds cooperation with Gachon University. The cooperation is signed by Dean of Faculty of Engineering UGM, Prof. Ir. Nizam, and Dean of Graduate School of Social Policy of Gachon University, Lee Hee Sun, on Tuesday (24/10) in Graduate School UGM. The signing is witnessed by Vice President of Samsung Electronic Indonesia, Lee Gang Hyun and Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Faculty of Engineering UGM, Prof. Joko Sujono, M.Eng., Ph.D.
Nizam said protecting the children from a traffic accident is the responsibility of everyone. Therefore, all have to show their concern for traffic safety for children. Reducing traffic accident can be done through implementing safety and obeying the traffic regulation.
Korea, according to Nizam, has good experience in reducing traffic accident rate. Nizam said the practice done by Korea can be adopted in Indonesia.
Nizam said he often sees children who ride a motorcycle with their parents do not wear a helmet, while the parents wear the standard helmet. Children safety has to be ensured by wearing a helmet. Enhancing awareness and responsibility of the parents in keeping safe their children become a serious concern of UGM and Gachon University for reducing the traffic accident rate in the road.
Dean Lee Hee Sun said the cooperation in reducing traffic accident rate in children will be conducted for three years. According to Lee Hee Sun, Korea has succeeded in conducting a similar program where it can reduce the number of traffic accident from 1,750 accidents per year to just 70 cases in 2016.
Vice President of Samsung Electronic Indonesia, Lee Gang Hyun, appreciates this collaboration. According to Lee Gang Hyun, it is the first time for Samsung to support the program regarding traffic accident reduction in children. The program requires support from the government to reduce such accident.
“The number of traffic accident in children in Indonesia is still high, thus Samsung supports this program so that it can be adopted by other regions,” said Lee Gang Hyun.
Furthermore, they also made a declaration to reduce the accident rate in children in Yogyakarta. This was attended by UGM, Gachon University, Regional Police of Yogyakarta, Regional Parliament of Yogyakarta, and PT. Jasaraharja. Points of the declaration consist of a commitment to enhancing the children safety by enhancing education and training regarding traffic safety, encouraging the parents to wear a helmet for their children, improving the traffic facilities as well as being active in preventing traffic accident in children.