A recent study by the Research Institute on Mindanao Culture (RIMCU) found that knowledge of the new Republic Act (RA) No. 11229 or the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act is not enough, therefore suggests that parents and motorists should help their children avoid auto injuries and deaths by modeling good driving habits.
In the latest episode of Buckle Up, Radyoman Rod Marcelino was joined by Mayette Rivera, a social and behavior change consultant at the RIMCU, professor and research fellow at Far Eastern University (FEU), and a grandmother to an 8-year-old child car seat user.
Rivera shared that their baseline research revealed that majority of road traffic stakeholders still lacks knowledge and appreciation about the new law. The survey further suggests that most motorists are not keen on obeying traffic safety rules, unless motivated by their fear of getting caught by enforcers.
This implies, according to Rivera, that so much of children’s road safety habits are caught and not taught because of mixed signals from adults.
“What they see in their parents, they follow,” Rivera said. “Ang sabi nila (children), mixed daw ang signals. Kumbaga, ang nakikita ng mga bata, ‘yung ibang parents nilang kasama ay naga-apply ng rules. ‘Yung iba naghe-helmet, nagse-seatbelt, ‘yung iba hindi. So kahit tinuturuan sila sa school, nakikita naman nila sa mga parents nilang nagbe-break ng rules at nawi-witness nila mismo from their family members.”
Rivera then urged parents to embrace child safety in vehicles, adding: “Napakahalaga pong tayong mga magulang ay pag-aralang maigi ang saklaw ng mga road safety laws especially the RA11229 upang mas mapangalagan natin at masiguro ang kapakanan at kaligtasan ng ating mga anak, lalo na kung sila ay nagba-byahe at sila ay nasa’ting mga sasakyan.”
“Knowledge of the law is not enough, ang importante tayo mismo ang nagmomodel sa ating mga anak at mageducate sakanila para makita nila ang kahalagahan nito. Ang mga bata ay susunod kapag tayo ay mag-momodelo nito sa tamang paraan at sila po ay magkakaroon ng tamang edukasyon tungkol dito.”
RIMCU provides advocacy support to the Child Road Traffic Injury Prevention (CRTIP) program, and has been involved in the development and dissemination of child road safety education advocacy and promotional materials including a storybook and new child road safety modules that will soon be streamlined in the Department of Education (DepEd) curriculum.
To learn more about the Child Safety in Motor Vehicles Act, Buckle Up airs every Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 PM and Saturdays at 8:00 AM.
