Introduction

Road traffic accidents are a major problem in Tanzania . The two major risk groups are passengers and pedestrians. Being a road user in Tanzania is not safe for several reasons. Traffic safety for vulnerable road users mainly pedestrians and in particular the youth is far from acceptable. Pedestrians cross roads everywhere even on wide major arterials. Traffic safety for children is not sufficiently considered. Road users show little consideration to themselves and other road users. Statistics show that Tanzania is not doing well as far as road accidents are concerned. One of the most vulnerable group being pedestrians under the age of 15 years.

Road accidents in Tanzania affect the people as well as their economy, hence there is need for greater emphasis on the subject. It is believed that education can be a weapon to fight this scourge. If people are well educated on the importance of the accident and proper use of roads, they can be safe road users and consequently avoid accidents.

Road Accidents Statistics in Tanzania

Road accidents is among the disasters which affect human beings.

In case of Tanzania , a booklet published in 1997 (entitled: “Usalama Barabarani”) by the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania gave the following statistics on occurrence of road accidents and the resultant casualty effects in the country.

Table 1: Statistics of Road Accidents in Tanzania Mainland from 1977 – 1997.

In the year 2003 TANROADS in its study on the Development of Road Safety Master Plan for Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar revealed that:

Between 1993 – 2003 there were over 160,000 casualities and 20,000 persons were killed in road traffic accidents.

The total number of killed persons in road accidents in 2003 was about 2250 and statistics showed an alarming additional growth by 9%.

Tanzania traffic is more dangerous than in neighbouring countries.

The situation is constantly worsening. For instance between 2001 and 2003 the number of accidents grew by 20%.

Accidents have a great impact on economic growth. According to the same study, between 2000 – 2003 costs were about 2% of the GDP and accidents costed more than 300 billion Tanzanian shillings per year.

It was estimated that between 2004 – 2008 costs would rise 3% of the GDP if nothing is done.

Road Safety Education

Despite the fact, that the above statistical figures do not show the categories of people who were affected in road accidents, the literature contained in a bulletin produced in London in 1997 by the transport Research laboratory pointed out that on average 20-25% of road accidents deaths in developing countries usually involve pedestrians under the age of 15 years who include primary innocent children and some ignorant people.

Research reports revealed that children casualty rates in serious accidents increase with age from preschool children to seniors. The risk increases or doubles as children reach school age, because of their greater use of roads as pedestrians. If further increases again at secondary school age because of the greater amount of cycling they do especially boys (Department of Transport Laboratory 1987). The same study by TANROADS in 2003 showed that 400 children were killed and 3000 were injured in Tanzania in road traffic accidents each year.

The reasons for children being more vulnerable to road accidents than adults are as follows:

•  They lack the skill and experience of safe road use.

•  Their observation and listening powers are less fully developed to be keen when using roads.

•  The small bodies make them less likely to be seen by vehicle drivers.

•  Their low level of judgement exposes them to great danger of accidents.

•  They often lack supervision or are poorly supervised by parents or guardians.

•  They are often impulsive and unpredictable.

The same literature further pointed out that the primary cause of road accidents in developing countries is mainly due to failure to include Road Safety Education (RSE) in their school curricula/lessons. It is widely known that road safety education can be an effective remedial measure if principles good practices are followed accordingly.

According to report from the Ministry of Works (Kipande, 2004), studies done in various countries including Tanzania have revealed that human factor contributes about 93-94% of road accidents while condition of roads contribute between 26-34% and vehicles between 8-12%.

The same source revealed that solutions to problems that arise from human error are very difficult since they need change of mind set and human character. Those who prepare curriculum have an obligation to look for techniques to positively change the mind set and human character. This can be done through Road Safety Education (Kipande 2004).

Road safety education leads to the following:

•  Better knowledge and understanding which automatically save lives and reduce the number of injuries.

•  Children will educate their parents.

•  Children will be our future drivers who shall be safe road users.

In view of the above literature the idea of introducing RSE in the country came into being in 1997. the Tanzania Institute of Education (TIE) was assigned by the Ministry of Works (MOW), through the Ministry of Education and Culture (MOEC) to design Road Safety Education Curriculum for the teaching and learning of road safety in primary, secondary schools and teacher training colleges. The decision was taken with the intent or curbing the problem of road accidents to students in the country.

Implementation

For the implementation purpose Road Safety Education Project was established to be implemented by TIE with the following structures:

Task Force and Secretarial

A task of 8 members from stakeholders Ministries: 2 from TIE, 2 from Ministry of Works (MOW), 1 from Ministry of Education (MOEC), 1 from Ministry of Home Affairs, Traffic Divisor, 1 from Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and 1 from National Institute of Transport provide the governing body of the project where TIE is the secretariat.

Aims

The main aim of the RSE Project of Tanzania is to reduce and eventually control the number and frequency of road accidents in Tanzania .

Objectives

The objectives of RSE in Tanzania are as follows:

To provide Road Safety Education to pupils and students in primary, secondary schools and students in teachers training colleges in Tanzania .

To educate communities (i.e. community leaders, teacher, parents etc) on the importance of Road Safety Education.

To pre-test a Road Safety Education Curriculum during the project's pilot phases.

To enable primary and secondary school teachers and college tutors to teach Road Safety Education Curriculum including:

•  The use of variety of appropriate innovative and participatory methods and strategies in Teaching RSE.

•  Identification, preparation, improvision and use of relevant teaching aids and which are appropriate for RSE.

•  Preparation of effective of RSE schemes of work, lesson plans and lesson notes.

•  Teaching Road Safety Education Lessons in the form of modules and units.

•  Measurement of pupils progress and achievement including continuous assessment.

•  Efficient and effective classroom interaction as well as management of the RSE practical based activities.

In this regard TIE, between 1997 and 1999, developed teaching and learning materials on road safety education for primary, secondary and teacher education levels.

The following materials were developed

•  Road safety education syllabi for

•  Primary schools – class I – VII

•  Secondary schools – Forms I – IV

•  Teacher Training – Certificate Course

•  Teacher Training – Diploma Course

•  Road safety education modules for:

•  Primary school teachers

•  Secondary school teachers.

The materials were piloted in 41 primary school, 5 secondary schools and 4 teacher training colleges after an orientation seminar to teachers held in August 1999.

The Content

The content of the documents included

•  Roads; the meaning, types and their importance.

•  Proper use of roads.

•  Responsibility and rights of road users

•  Riding bicycle and tricycle.

•  Road accidents

•  First Aid in road accident situation.

•  Reinforcement of road safety rules and regulations.

•  learning to drive and licensing requirements.

•  Fitness to drive (physical and mental health).

Implementers in Schooling System

Road Safety Education is taught by teachers and tutors in schools and teacher training colleges.

The Process

Teaching and Learning Methodologies

The approach is highly participatory. Students centred techniques are well elaborated in all syllabi including teachers and tutors modules.

Such techniques among others include:

•  Excursions

•  Role plays

•  Songs

•  Poems

•  Group discussions

•  Question and answer

•  Brainstorming

•  Demonstrations

•  Tabletop exercises

•  Drama

•  Project work

•  Practical demonstrations on actual roads.

These techniques are executed using various resources indicated by the syllabi of different levels like:

•  Actual roads

•  Charts

•  Pictures

•  Leaflets

•  Photographs

•  Pictures

•  Guiding questions

•  Video tapes

•  TV

•  Road models

•  Drawings

•  Posters

•  Tanzania highway code

•  Actual bus/taxi stop

During the piloting stage, the teachers and tutors used monitoring instruments developed by TIE of which they were oriented in December, 2001.

Evaluation of the Program

In 2002 an evaluation exercise was conducted by TIE in the piloting zone. Generally it was noted that in most of the project schools, the progress of RSE was good and showed fruitful results. The number pupils involved in road accidents was reduced to a great deal. For some schools like Buguruni viziwi which is a special school for the deaf pupils, the impact was very good. There has been no occasion of an accident since the introduction of RSE in that school despite the fact that the school is located at a black spot area. Previously the situation was very bad for that school.

Most pupils in project schools were well informed on how to use roads safely. They could follow road safety rules well and they were not as commonly involved in road accidents as they used to be in the past. Pupils and teachers felt the need to road safety education and were highly motivated by the subject. Due to this motivation the Kibaha Education office enrolled 10 schools to be added to the RSE project schools. The Coast Regional Road Safety committee decided to increase the number of schools teaching RSE in Bagamoyo district after observing a high road accident rate occurring between Chalinze and Segera. The study also revealed an acute shortage of teaching/learning materials including students and tutors guides. The syllabi and teachers modules in the field also needed revision.

The following challenges encountered in the project schools at all levels:

In all the project school there were no textbooks for teaching RSE. Hence, the teaching/learning process became difficult.

Some of the key teaching aids were not available in schools and colleges. Also leaflets and pamphlets were too few.

RSE subject was not well known to the surrounding community.

Teachers were not professionally competent to be able to teach some of the topics, for example First Aid, road signs and markings, police traffic signals and traffic lights.

In some schools, Absence of actual RSE facilities nearby made the teaching of some topics difficult for some schools, for example road types, zebra crossing, other road signs, traffic lights and round about.

The following successes were noted:

Pupils in project schools were well informed on how to use road safety. They followed road safety rules well, hence they were not commonly involved in road accidents as it used to be in the past.

Pupils were highly motivated to learn RSE.

Teachers in the project schools were highly motivated by the subject.

Due to high motivation on the subject, the Kibaha Education office enrolled 10 schools to be included in the list of RSE project schools.

The Coast Regional Road Safety Committee decided to increase the number of schools teaching RSE in Bagamoyo District after observing a high road accident rate occurring between Chalinze and Segera.

The RSE project teachers recommended the following:

RSE subject should be taught countrywide.

Textbooks should be prepared and distributed to schools and colleges.

The Traffic police department and related organs should collaborate in the provision of RSE.

Intensive teachers seminars to be conducted.

Teachers to have study visit to different places so as to be more informed on what can be made available in their places.

Teaching/learning aids e.g. TV should be made available.

Tools for preparation of teaching/learning materials to be made available.

Driving lessons should be conducted.

Pupils like to see real things during RSE lessons for easy understanding of the concepts they learn. That should be emphasized.

In the absence of real objects, pupils like to see charts depicting various concepts like road signs and marking; traffic police signs and traffic signs.

Arrangements should be made to conduct relevant peer RSE seminars to both RSE teachers and tutors so that they can orient other teachers and tutors to teach RSE.

TIE did the following:

•Revised teachers modules for primary and secondary schools.

•  Revised syllabi for primary and secondary schools.

•  Revised syllabi for teachers education at both certificate and diploma levels.

•  Prepared modules for:

•  Primary schools class I – VII

•  Secondary schools Form I – IV

•  Certificate in education

•  Diploma in education

•  Conducted a seminar to orient teachers and tutors to the prepared documents.

•  Distributed the documents to teachers, tutors, students for primary and secondary schools and teacher trainees in the piloting zone.

•  Integrated RSE in primary and secondary school curriculum.

•  Prepared RSE integration guide for primary schools.

Lessons from Other Countries

TIE officials made a study visit to India and Singapore to learn Best Practices in RSE. It was observed that Road Accidents in those countries are at minimum particularly in Singapore . It was learned that RSE is offered wholistically where the whole community participates including Traffic police, NGOs and other agencies.

In this connection TIE decided to involve other stakeholders in the provision of RSE and train students directly. In March 2008 TIE conducted training to 6000 students and 500 teachers in Kilimanjaro region in collaboration with the Traffic police of the region. That was peer training where the trainees were supposed disseminate the same to their peers. The plan is to conduct similar training in all other regions in the country.

The Way Forward

TIE to do the following in the near future:

Prepare RSE teachers guides, tutor guides, pre school and high school syllabi (Form V and VI)

Prepare RSE students books and pamphlets for high school and pre-schools

Prepare of RSE charts, pictures, posters, leaflets and other teaching aids for both secondary, primary and TTCs.

Integrate the subject in school and TTC curriculum at diploma and certificate levels.

Prepare of preschool and high school teachers modules.

Formation, strengthening and operationalizing RSE clusters throughout the country.

Train teachers, tutors, school inspectors ward and district educational administrators throughout the country on road safety education.

Train peer educators in all primary, secondary schools, and communities in the country.

Monitor the implementation of RSE in the country.

Conclusion

Road Safety Education should be stressed and boosted in schools and colleges so as to reduce the magnitude of road accidents that arise through human error and other sources.

It is believed that if our children get road safety education while in school, in few years to come they shall become competent and well informed drivers who shall be safe road users. Such drivers shall be careful, they shall refuse defective cars in roads because they shall be informed and able to make informed decisions and become instrumental in reducing loss of lives and property:

Since road safety is also an attitude of mind and nurturing of right attitudes is difficult and takes a long time such attitudes should be inculcated during schooling period. Therefore through road safety education we are going to be able to reduce the magnitude of road accidents that result from human factor.

Road safety education should also be taught in day care centres so as to nurture right attitudes from early childhood.