TEACHING THE CHILD

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 247, 16 July 1935, Page 11

TEACHING THE CHILD

Pedestrian Care on the Highways LESSONS IN SAFETY The increase of motor accidents and fatalities in New Zealand during the past few years has come after a period of improvement since the peak of about 1931. That trend seems to be common to most countries, and has forced authorities more and more to go to the schools and adopt practical measures with tlie aim of reducing accidents by forming cautious habits in school children. Teachers in New Zealand schools have done much toward a lessening of the toll of the road, collaborating with some automobile associations who, from time to time, have had bold posters printed for use in schoolrooms.

The trend is for more practical measures to be used, and the revelation in “The Dominion” on Saturday of the increase of rious accidents no doubt will be followed by New Zealand following precedents overseas. That was the opinion of several traffic and educational officers questioned yesterday. The best work for prevention can be done in the schools, said one traffic authority. At least one school in England has set about preventive practice in the "school ground. One hour is devoted each week to a game with a moral.

A space is marked off in a corner of the ground to resemble a street crossing—roadways ten or twelve feet wide being defined by whitewash, and provision being made for the appearance of footpaths. On one corner is set a standard with three colours to represent traffic signals of red, orange and green. One boy is allotted the job of pressing buttons upon counting ten or twenty slowly, so that the colours appear singly in turn to guide the users of the “road” and “footpaths.” Children enjoy the lesson, and one day each week bring their tricycles, scooters, prams or trolleys, for use on the intersection. After several weeks the children become precise in their obedience to the signals and bustle alternates with quiet along each street, according to the “Go" and “Stop” lights. Children between 5 and 12 years of age take part in the game.

Traffic authorities everywhere have commended this sort of lesson and some have predicted that generally lessons of such a practical character will become an essential part in the education systems of the world —the logical step for adjusting the child into tlie web of modern traffic conditions. The cost of establishing the playground system outlined is negligible. White-wash is used for the markings, and the signal can be made for a few shillings. It may be made of wooden slats with alternating colours worked from exposure to oblivion by means of strings, if a simpler and less expensive unit is necessary. The English model consisted of lights rigged on a standard w’ith buttons to operate them.

A sharper lesson is inflicted compulsorily upon real motorists guilty of negligence in serious accidents in Los Angeles. Contact with the results of negligence is adjudged to react, in the use of care in future. Besides being convicted, fined, having their licences cancelled, or being imprisoned, negligent motorists—both men and women—are made to walk through the morgue I