Funday Times

Stamp News 263 By Uncle Dee Cee
Accent of Road Safety
Road safety has become a serious problem throughout the world. The increasing number of road deaths and injuries has become a matter of international concern. Life is so busy today and there are so many vehicles on the road that road safety affects all of us. In order to make everyone aware of the need for road safety, the United Nations Postal Administration issued a set of six stamps on 7 April 2004- the World Health Day. The World Health Organization had selected Road Safety as the theme of this year’s World Health Day.

Statistics reveal that road accidents take away as many as 1.2 million lives of men, women and children each year around the world. Hundreds of thousands more are injured on the roads some of whom become permanently disabled. The vast majority of these injuries occur in developing countries like Sri Lanka, among pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and users of buses and vans.

It has been found that up to now not enough attention has been paid to road safety weather at national levels or at an international level. On 22 May 2003, the United Nations General Assembly accepted the need to create awareness of the importance of road safety as a public policy issue. This was to be done particularly through education and spread of information. After this resolution was passed, the UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan issued a report on 7 August 2003 emphasising that road traffic injuries now pose a global public health crisis requiring urgent action at national and international levels.

On this year’s World Health day, around the globe hundreds of organizations hosted events to help raise awareness about road traffic injuries, their grave consequences and their enormous costs to society. The message is that such injuries can be prevented

Several factors lead to the increase of road accidents resulting in injury or death. Speeding of vehicles is one. Drivers tend to drive at high speed ignoring the speed limits marked on the roads. In our country, van and bus drivers tend to drive fast. Particularly bus drivers do not pay much attention to road rules because they want to pick more passengers. Thus they tend to overtake vehicles without much concern for the pedestrians or passengers in other vehicles. Driving under the influence of liquor is another reason for road accidents.

The wearing of helmets and seat belts help to prevent injuries from road accidents. In Sri Lanka although it is compulsory for motor cyclists to wear helmets, it is still not compulsory that passengers in motor vehicles should wear seat belts. Even though there is no law, it is a good practice to wear seat belts when travelling in a car.

The six UN stamps depict different aspects of road safety. Each one carries an interesting design. ‘Respect Traffic Sings’ is the theme of one stamp, which shows traffic signs displayed on a car. These are the internationally accepted road signs, which are in use in Sri Lanka too.

A moving car is depicted.
‘Caution-Pedestraisn!’ is the theme of the stamp, which depicts a human being on the palm of a hand.
‘Drink or Drive’ is the message conveyed through the stamp displaying a number of bottles to indicate liquor bottles.
‘Courtesy on the Road’ is depicted in the stamp showing a tiny car with fingers of a hand.
The need to wear the safety belt is emphasised in the one showing how the belt is worn.

‘Speed = Danger’ is the message conveyed through the last stamp with a highway and traffic signals on top. The stamps have been deigned by a French designer named Michel Granger who is recognised as a master of many media including television images, books, posters, films, sculptures, postcards and record and book covers. A strong message is also conveyed through the first day hand-cancellation logo.

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