Taking action for the sake of schoolchildren

I have just driven back and I am so angry and exasperated that, for the sake of the children, I cannot continue to allow this daily event pass without doing something.

My short journey took me past a nursery school in Sannat, where children were being picked up by their parents or relatives. Cars were driving towards me and away from me, with their precious cargo of children on board, many only just old enough to have started school. I even travelled in the direction of some of them and in each and every car that I saw the children were not secured in any way. Some were in the front, some in the back but most were standing between the front seats. In striking contrast, every driver had their own seat belt on.

This chillingly stupid, callous and dangerous event is re-enacted at least twice a day throughout our islands. Can it really be that no one, anywhere, who can make a difference, cares about the risk to these young lives?

When an oncoming driver insists on continuing into a gap that is only wide enough for one car or another drives straight out of a junction without stopping or looking, I have often thought that, maybe, some local drivers have a problem visualising what could or will happen next until the event happens. If this really is the problem, then it would be so simple for the authorities to show videos of what actually does happen next in an accident when children travel unprotected in a car. It would be so very simple to play these to all the parents, school by school.

It would be so very simple for teachers to monitor and educate drivers as they actually arrive or leave the vicinity of the school by advising and handing out leaflets.

It would be so very simple for the policemen, who are often on duty at the school, to take an interest and insist that offending drivers observe their children’s safety, which is, after all, the law.

It would be so very simple at these two very specific times of day for traffic wardens and the police to stop and educate, warn or book the offending drivers. Even better would be to mandate the offenders for safety training in lieu of a fine because this is not about raising revenue but is all about raising safety awareness.

I have no idea but maybe the historic incidence of serious maiming or death of children on Gozo is relatively low because many roads do not allow for high speed driving. That situation is changing with the new and better roads.

From this particular school alone there are two high risk stretches of road leading to Victoria and Xewkija where drivers habitually break the speed limit. So, before it becomes a disaster, isn’t it time to educate drivers who have children in their care, such that they change their shocking habits?

If there is anyone reading this who is a politician, the Police Commissioner, a policeman on the beat, a traffic warden, a head teacher, a teacher, a bishop, a priest, parent or voter, who knows that they can make a difference, please, for the sake of the children, do something now, today.