We can use various education methods (to improve the program), which have originated from our diverse native culture and wisdom, so they can be easily accepted by the children.Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi urged all stakeholders to provide optimal traffic education to children from an early age at the ‘National Seminar on Early-Age Traffic Awareness (SALUD)’ here on Thursday
There is a need to provide traffic awareness education from an early age to help children make a habit of traveling safely, he said.
He then invited the Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Ministry, the police, local governments, academics, as well as child experts to collaborate to improve the SALUD program.
"We can use various education methods (to improve the program), which have originated from our diverse native culture and wisdom, so they can be easily accepted by the children," he said.
Building safety awareness among the public is not easy since sometimes it is hard to make people comply with traffic regulations, he noted.
At the seminar, head of the Traffic Corps of the National Police, Inspector General Firman Shantyabudi, lauded the Transportation Ministry for consistently carrying out activities to improve road safety.
Road users play an important role in realizing road safety, he added.
“Hence, the SALUD program plays an important role in creating a culture of safe driving," he remarked.
He said he expected the program to build obedience, a sense of responsibility, empathy for other road users, an understanding of the importance of traffic safety, as well as initiative to take immediate action if any emergency happens on the road.
According to data provided by the traffic corps, two people die in traffic accidents every hour in Indonesia.
In 2021, there were 103,645 accidents, which resulted in 25,266 deaths, 10,553 serious injuries, and 117,913 minor injuries. Most of the victims were people from the productive age group (between 20-49 years old).
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The nationwide SALUD program has been initiated by the Transportation Ministry as part of an effort to build traffic awareness and education in collaboration with kindergarten and early childhood education teachers.
The ministry is also encouraging every city/district to have a traffic-themed playground or park that can be used to disseminate information under the SALUD program.
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Translator: Adimas Fahky, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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