Getting your learners

Dear Friends…..

Probably the highlight of 2007 in terms of Drive Alive focus, has been the unqualified success of our Drama Group, Syabonana (“see and be seen”), which has spread its wings far and wide. Primary and high schools are chosen in previously disadvantaged, high-risk areas and the Drive Alive theatre group perform a play focusing on the following Road Safety issues : Seat belts, Speed, Peer Group Pressure, Alcohol, Drugs, Pedestrians and The Buddy System. The last one aims to instill responsibility within the community for the older learners to help the younger ones cross the road at all times.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of non-natural deaths among children in South Africa. Hundreds of children’s lives could be saved every year if every school took steps to make road safety a priority. Learners are often crossing very dangerous roads, a risky task with limited training and education. According to research, children under the age of 9 should not cross the road unaccompanied, but in South Africa this happens daily. The main problems are vehicles traveling at high speed, reckless driving, the communities ignorance of and consequently non-observance of the rules of the road, stray animals, drunk pedestrians and the lack of law enforcement.

The play is performed by two actors who speak many indigenous languages and incorporates comedy, physical theatre, song, dance and role-playing and ensures all the messages are thoroughly explained and taught. A simple verbal test is held at the end of each performance.

There is tremendous interaction with the audience. We have an efficient sound system and a technician and play to two thousand learners in an open area, with ease. Sponsorship permitting, each child is given a reflective backpack for their school books and to make them more visible on the roads.

Taxis in each area are also reflectorised, with the drivers becoming enthusiastic and major participants in the project. It was found that not only were the children visible on the roads and so much safer but, on top of this major success, there was a tremendous upsurge of loyalty by the pupils to their schools. According to the staff, road safety has become a major priority to the children. Teachers and children are also empowered to develop road safety plays of a similar nature, for future years. Schools are encouraged to create their own road safety songs which are sung by choirs at the schools.

Additional research is also undertaken to ascertain what forms of media the community use mostly and various local radio broadcasts are made prior to the launch. The parents and general community are generous and hardworking, tidying the schools, painting road safety slogans on the walls and providing refreshments at all project functions.

We have performed at most of the primary schools in Meadowlands and are currently in Diepkloof.

The usual coverage is three schools in a morning (which logistically takes some organisation) and this exposes between 1000 and1500 children to Road Safety in a way that they relate to. We have in the last month also performed at five schools in Honeydew.

At a Global Road Safety Partnerships (GRSP) meeting, I met a representative of Chevron, the American Oil Company who run Caltex in South Africa. He had expressed an interest in seeing the play and he did so at one of these schools – he was most taken with the concept and has professed his intention to ask for sponsorship from the group. Which would be marvellous, but we shall wait and see.

We were meanwhile sponsored to attend a Road Safety Course run by UNISA in Cape Town, where we presented the play, once again to general acclaim. The Johannesburg Emergency Services were very taken with it and would also like to use us.

On our return I was asked to speak at a seminar run by the Department of Health, on the subject of road accidents, aimed at primary schoolteachers. There were many principals there from Soweto who had seen the play, and the Department of Health would like us to do the play in the area. Not all of these will materialise, but the interest and acclaim is such that there is no doubt that the project has been highly worthwhile and is very much an ongoing exercise.

Drive safe and buckle up!

Love

Moira

Don't drink and drive!

An accident occurs every 4 seconds 
Statistic from the National Department of Transport

South Africa's road safety rate, ranks as the fourth worst in the world
The costs of traffic collisions in South Africa is approximately R16 billion per year.
Road accidents will rank as the world's third greatest public health problem by 2020, superseded only by AIDS and tobacco related illnesses.

8,000 traffic cops in total 
5,000 are operational 
3,000 dealing with licenses / office work / off sick / on leave
1200 SA Police Officials are directly or indirectly involved in attending, recording and investigation accidents on a daily basis.
14,560 people are killed on South African roads a year (40 per day)
620 000 crashes per year (1698 per day)
38 000 serious injuries per year (104 per day)
84 000 less serious injuries per year (230 per day)
A person is killed every 48 minutes
An accident occurs every 4 seconds

Fairweather Driving School

Susan Peebles
Johannesburg
082 713 4727