tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121638930391749483.post6452151982241483496..comments2023-10-26T04:17:33.910-07:00Comments on Helderberg News & Info Blog: Saul's Saloon and GrillUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7121638930391749483.post-969676472830087692011-06-29T02:47:14.543-07:002011-06-29T02:47:14.543-07:00Hi There!
I have decided that I cannot sit back a...Hi There!<br /><br />I have decided that I cannot sit back and accept the fact that generally speaking, South Africa has some of the highest road death statistics in the world (as far as I can deduce.) I realise that many of these deaths are the result of pedestrians wandering into the road. However, many deaths can be attributed to poor driving habits and a lack of road awareness. In other words neglecting to think ahead and driving without courtesy to other road users.<br />I have drawn up a list of points that I would like to share with student drivers - no matter what age, colour or creed.<br />I propose to approach schools to speak to students who are in the process of learning to drive and to approach driving schools who are training people of all age groups.<br />What I propose is not a driver training course but a driver awareness talk and discussion. <br />I have 30 years of driving experience in South Africa as well as limited experience driving in the UK and Germany.<br />It is with this combined experience that I would like to impart to students the know-how to arm them with good driving habits and a courteous, sensible driving style.<br />"Project Freeway" is designed to do just that ..... to educate and encourage new drivers to free up the highways by driving sensibly. There is a lot of arrogance and road rage openly displayed by South African drivers and I would like to chat to students and discuss the dangers of this and how to develop a safe system so that it becomes habit for all new drivers to use indicators, mirrors and good road sense in a courteous manner thus reducing stress and anger and freeing our roads of the craziness that is so prevalent these days.<br />We have some of the finest roads in the world and comparitively few drivers on them - compared to Europe and America - yet we don`t seem to appreciate that and the results are often deadly.<br /><br />I propose to talk to groups of students in a school classroom environment at the various learning institutions in the Helderberg Basin. I would ask to be able to organise this as an after school activity. I expect 1 hour would be enough time for me to give a short talk and open a discussion. I will be interested to hear from students their views on driving habits that they may or may not be happy with. It might be the way a parent or friend drives. By opening discussion I feel that some very valid points can be raised.<br />I have no formal training as a driving instructor and once again reiterate that I am doing this only as a concerned resident of South Africa and someone who believes that positive change can happen. Even if only one student learns something, absorbs the information provided and encourages a friend to do the same, I will have achieved something positive.<br />I propose to supply a "Project Freeway" bumper sticker so that students who have been to a talk can identify with others on the roads and encourage one another to spread the word.<br /><br />If anyone reading this is interested and would like me to talk to student drivers at their learning institution, please contact me to discuss this further.<br /><br />I welcome any input and criticism.<br /><br />Kind regards<br /><br />Simon J Tatt<br />Somerset West<br />email: simontatt@yahoo.com<br />mobile: 082 2585209Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com