By Timothy A Ongaya
Imagine being called to a courtroom, not as a lawyer or a witness, but as a driver who’s been caught speeding. The twist? The ‘Judges’ in the courtroom are all kids, and they’re in charge of your fate. This is exactly what happens in the “Kid’s Court” in Mozambique—a creative initiative that’s shaking up the way road safety is taught and understood.
Mozambique, unfortunately, has one of the highest road fatality rates in Africa, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a fatality rate of 30.1 per 100,000 people. The situation is particularly alarming in Maputo, the capital, where chaotic traffic conditions and inadequate facilities for pedestrians, especially children, contribute to the vulnerability of young road users. For many children, walking to and from school is a daily necessity, making them particularly susceptible to traffic accidents.
A local initiative called “Return to Safer Schools” is leading the charge to improve road safety for students across five schools in Mozambique. Spearheaded by the Automóvel e Touring Clube de Moçambique (ATCM), this program is a partnership with the road safety NGO Amend, and it aims to make school zones safer for children—especially those walking to and from school.
The story starts with the shocking fact that many children in Maputo are in constant danger just trying to get to class. With chaotic traffic, unsafe sidewalks, and drivers ignoring basic rules, kids have little protection. The ATCM decided something needed to be done. By using a road safety assessment toolkit from the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), they evaluated five schools to identify the most dangerous spots around each one.
The results were eye-opening. School zones lacked proper signage, and traffic was often moving too fast. So, ATCM got to work. They installed 24 new road signs, created five zebra crossings, and set up “Safe School Zones” where cars must slow down to 30 km/h. These changes were aimed at protecting children from speeding cars and making the area around schools safer.
But the real star of the program isn’t just the new infrastructure. It’s the “Kid’s Court.” In a unique twist, when drivers are caught speeding or breaking traffic rules near school zones, they don’t face a traditional fine. Instead, they are brought before the “Kid’s Court”—a group of schoolchildren who act as the judges. The kids get to question the drivers and learn firsthand the consequences of dangerous driving.
This initiative is more than just a fun way to teach kids about road safety. It empowers them. By being part of the court, they are given the chance to confront real-life issues directly. They ask drivers why they were speeding, and they discuss the risks these actions pose to their own lives.
Instead of being fined, the drivers are asked to sign a pledge promising to drive more responsibly around schools. This pledge is a public commitment, and it’s often broadcast on TV and radio, spreading the message about the importance of road safety to the whole community.
The “Kid’s Court” isn’t just an educational activity; it’s a powerful way to involve children in road safety solutions and make them feel heard. It shows that even young people can have an impact when it comes to protecting themselves and others. In fact, this program has turned kids into road safety advocates, using their voices to make a real difference.
What can Kenya learn from this? Should we adopt the same for our schools?