OSCE Mission to Skopje promotes road safety for children

SKOPJE, 31 Aug 2005 - Thirty-four traffic police officers today completed training on teaching road safety to children as part of the Children's Road Safety component of the "Road Safety for All" project.

During the 2005-06 school year, these traffic officers will educate nearly 80,000 first grade children from elementary schools throughout the country.

At a ceremony today, the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje officially handed over to the Ministry of Interior four mobile training polygons and other materials to be used in the schools.

The Road Safety for All project is the first country-wide programme of such a scale and is designed to improve road safety. It consists of three main components: a public awareness campaign; training for traffic police; and road safety education in schools.

This initiative of the Ministry of Interior, supported by the Ministry of Education and the OSCE Mission, was funded by the U.S. State Department.

"Making any community safe is not just the responsibility of the police, but also the responsibility of all members of society. This is most evident when it comes to safety on the roads," said Ambassador Carlos Pais, the Head of the OSCE Spillover Monitor Mission to Skopje.

"With the support of local communities, teachers and parents, the project will educate children from an early age that they also should take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their community."

Paul Wohlers, Chargé d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Skopje, said: "The U.S. Embassy is pleased to support the Road Safety for All project. This kind of public outreach in the long run will increase the safety of citizens, and enhance positive relations between police officers and the communities in which they serve."

The Ministry of Interior is expected to make this programme part of its regular activities after it is fully handed over by the OSCE Mission.