Let us be serious in all our efforts to prevent or reduce significantly traffic accidents."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono flanked by First Lady Any Yudhoyono launched a National Traffic Safety Pioneering Movement at Hotel Indonesia roundabout here on Sunday morning.

In his speech he called on all community components to participate in the movement with regard to preventing or minimally reducing traffic accidents in the country in view of the number of deaths caused by them.

"Let us be serious in all our efforts to prevent or reduce significantly traffic accidents. All are responsible and must be involved and take efforts," he said.

The event was also attended by vice president Boediono and wife Mrs Herawati Boediono and other high ranking officials.

National police chief General Sutarman meanwhile said in his speech that the World Health Organization has launched a decade of road safety in view of the high rate of road accidents.

According to WHO 2.2 million people die every day in the world due to road accidents while 50 million others suffer serious injuries and permanent physical handicaps.

The number is bigger than war victims. During the eight year Gulf war only 1.2 million or around 150,000 a year are killed, Sutarman said quoting the WHO record.

This is what has driven WHO to launch a decade of road safety from 2011 to 2020 with a target of reducing the number of deaths by 50 percent, he said.

General Sutarman said in Indonesia more than 25,000 people had died due to traffic accidents in 2013 down from 27,000 in 2012.

Based on the number around 80 people died every month or around four people a day, he said.

In view of that he said the police continued increasing efforts to prevent and reduce traffic accidents by among other campaigning about road safety at schools and campuses as well as improving the mechanism for issuing driving license.

The traffic safety movement campaign is carried out across the country.

On the occasion President Yudhoyono held a long-distance video conference with the chiefs of the East Java and Central Java police commands.

Thousands of people attended the event highlighted by a marching band performance in which a song titled "Onward My Country" written by President Yudhoyono was also performed.

(Reporting by Muhammad Arief Iskandar/Uu.H-YH/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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