More than 1,000 schoolchildren from Getafe (Madrid) will learn basic road safety rules, the key to preventing traffic accidents
Fundación MAPFRE will be giving free practical classes in road safety in 24 cities across Spain and Portugal in 2018
Fundación MAPFRE, 6 March, presented the Caravana de Educación Vial (Road Safety Education RV) in Madrid, an educational initiative whereby experts on the subject will teach 8-12 year olds the importance of using child seats, fastening your seat belt, using a cycling helmet and establishing eye contact with drivers when crossing the road as pedestrians, all key actions for avoiding traffic accidents with fatal consequences.
At the aforementioned facility, located in Avenida de las Ciudades, 41, in Getafe, youngsters will also learn how to make themselves visible on the public highway and will take part in a workshop aimed at promoting coexistence, tolerance, caution, dialogue and empathy, values that contribute to avoiding accidents and their aftermath.
“La Caravana de Educación Vial is a free educational activity for youngsters to learn how to behave responsibly and safely as pedestrians, passengers and bicycle riders”. This was according to Jesus Monclús, Fundación MAPFRE’s Director of Accident Prevention and Road Safety, who pointed out that “it is fundamental to learn and absorb road safety concepts right from infancy.
He also made reference to the need to promote road safety as part of the school curriculum, so that “road safety becomes an essential and measurable subject at both primary and secondary school levels, something that would definitely contribute to preventing traffic accidents”.
On this subject, Jesús Monclús indicated that “young people represent the age group that has most reduced its accident rate over recent years, largely due to the efforts invested in road safety education”, and he also pointed out that “depending on the year, between a fifth and a third of children up to 14 years old killed in traffic accidents when traveling as car passengers in Spain were not using a child restraint system or child seat and about a further third were not using them correctly”.
This activity features the Rincón de la Prevención (Accident Prevention Corner), where schoolchildren have to identify the risk of potentially dangerous situations occurring at school, at home and in public areas. They will also learn about the causes of fire and what to do in the event of one starting.
The Fundación MAPFRE Caravana de Educación Vial will be open to the public until 9 March between 09:30 and 14:00 (for schools) and from 16:00 to 18:30 (for the general public). The RV will also visit 23 more cities throughout Spain and Portugal where a total of 23,000 children are expected to participate.
Traffic accidents continue to be one of the main causes of infant mortality; in 2016 alone, 28 children under the age of fourteen died in Spain.
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Fundacion MAPFRE awards 275,000 euros in grants to promote health and social protection