Singapore Government Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information & The Arts, #36-00, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963, Tel: 3757794/5

SPEECH BY ASSOC PROF HO PENG KEE, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR LAW & HOME AFFAIRS, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE 16TH ANNUAL SHELL TRAFFIC GAMES (FINAL) ON THURSDAY, 14 NOV 96, 10.30 AM AT THE ROAD SAFETY PARK, EAST COAST PARK SERVICE ROAD

Commissioner of Police, Mr Tee Tua Ba

Distinguished Guests

Teachers and Students

I am very happy to join all of you today for the finals of the 16th Annual Shell Traffic Games. Children should learn about road safety at an early age so that it will become a way of life with them. The Traffic Police, Land Transport Authority and schools with support from the Shell Companies in Singapore have been actively promoting road safety through programmes like the Road Safety Park Training Programme and the School Crossing Monitor Scheme. Although both are meant to promote road safety in the vicinity of the schools, children should remember that road safety must be practised at all times.

Accidents involving school children continue to be a matter of concern to all of us. In the first 9 months of this year, 25% or 173 out of the 695 pedestrians who were injured or killed in traffic accidents were below 14 years of age. Many children are involved in accidents because they walk or cross the road without road safety in mind. The Traffic Police tells me that many children still cross the roads without care. I urge parents and teachers to continue to play their part by reinforcing road safety messages in students.

Accidents also occur because young children have a limited understanding and knowledge of traffic patterns and little sense of danger. They also lack experience as road users. Their judgement is often poor and their behaviour can be unpredictable. But children are not the only ones at fault. Motorists were responsible for more than half of the 164 accidents in Singapore involving young pedestrians over the first 9 months of this year. I urge motorists to exercise care on the roads particularly when they are near schools and housing estates.

As part of its on-going effort to curb accidents involving the young and to make the area around schools safer for school children, Traffic Police and the Land Transport Authority intend to introduce pavement footprint markings at Tao Nan and Jintai Primary Schools and at the Road Safety Park. This is an enhancement of the School Zones Scheme which was introduced as a pilot project in 1991 in five schools and currently extended to 15 schools.

These footprints will guide primary school children from the school exit to the nearest pedestrian crossing on the main road. They will also reinforce the messages to use pedestrian crossings and to stop and look before crossing the road. I understand that there are plans to extend these footprint markings to other primary schools in future.

On behalf of the Traffic Police and all road users, I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the sponsors of the event, especially the Shell Companies in Singapore for sponsoring and jointly organising the 16th Shell Traffic Games. I commend the Shell Companies in Singapore for being a generous corporate citizen.

It is now my pleasure to officially launch the Games.

Thank you.