The Bali Police have planned to integrate traffic education into the school curriculum in an attempt to reduce road accidents involving the youth.
Sr. Com. Bambang Sugeng, Bali Police traffic department director, confirmed that the majority of traffic accidents in Bali involved young people.
"Most teenagers do not have adequate knowledge about traffic regulations," Sugeng said.
According to data from the Bali Police, the number of traffic accidents rose 23 percent in 2009 or 1,704 cases, compared to only 1,469 cases in the previous year.
Traffic education, Sugeng added, was important to provide accurate information to school students on how to drive safely.
"Students do not receive education on traffic regulations. Many view regulations as unimportant."
Their lack of knowledge and ignorance has led to accidents that threatens their safety, he said.
The Bali Police is expecting to meet with the education, youth and sports offices to discuss the plan.
"We hope that traffic education can be integrated into the school curriculum by 2011," he noted.
At the first stage, traffic education will be introduced at high-school level.
Traffic education may be implemented into sport and civic education.
It may cover a safety, regulations and civic rights.
"The traffic education program has been successfully deployed in Riau province. Bali can learn from Riau," Sugeng noted.
Putu Suasta, education office head, positively responded to the proposal.
"We support this idea, but it will be difficult to create as an independent school curriculum."
Suasta also suggested that traffic education be applied at every school level.
"Many young people drive their motorcycles recklessly. The majority of students are not eligible to obtain driving licenses," he added.
Sugeng further said the Bali Police would have lesson material as well as human resources. "We hope the Bali provincial authority sets aside adequate funding to carry out the program," he added. Traffic education in school curriculum
