Lowveld - NOV 2020

Since the initiative started, TRAC
has reached more than 10 000
pupils across the route
In a country where road accidents
and fatalities are a dime a dozen,
teaching children to respect and
observe road safety protocols is
critical. Today’s young ones are
tomorrow’s adults, and TRAC believes
education is the basis of creating a
culture of responsible, respectable
and courteous road users.
With this in mind, we, as the
concessionaire of the N4 Toll Route,
launched the TRAC School Road
Safety project in 2014, and continue
to present it annually at both urban
and rural schools along our route. The
initiative is aimed at children aged
four to nine and focuses on basic
road safety. It is led by TRAC’s mascot,
which has become an icon along the
570-kilometre transborder road.
During the project’s pilot phase, only
passenger safety was highlighted.
However, when the initiative gained
momentum, pedestrian safety
became another focus point. The
latter was decided after statistics
from Arrive Alive indicated that
approximately 40% of road deaths in
South Africa are pedestrians.
Both the passenger and pedestrian
road safety shows feature a 30-minute
educational performance starring
Sipho and his “friends”. Through
acting, singing and child-friendly road
safety signs they are taught easy-toremember,
basic road rules.
Since the initiative started, TRAC has
reached more than 10 000 pupils
across the route. The project has
become such a success, that these
days we are often requested by
schools to come present it to their
learners as part of their road safety
curriculum.
Details
Solange Soares on 013-755-3316
(switchboard), 076-021-2524 (cell) or
sssoares@tracn4.co.za
38 Get It Lowveld November 2020