Eight-year-old Zhang Xinxin is afraid of running red traffic lights.

 

 

"If I were caught by traffic police for running a red light, my parents would have to come to the school to study traffic laws," explained Zhang, a student from Guangzhou Tianxiu Primary School.

 

She was given a traffic security card by the school last Wednesday, marking the start of traffic security coordination measures between local traffic police and educational departments. These cards will be used to track students' violation of traffic laws.

 

"It would be really embarrassing for us pupils to make our parents go to school. Moreover, our school performance would be affected if we violated traffic rules," Zhang said.

 

Like Zhang, all primary and middle school students in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong Province, have been given a traffic security card by schools.

 

"The move aims to raise more awareness among students and parents to better abide by traffic rules," said Hua Tongxu, director of Guangzhou Education Bureau.

 

At present, Guangzhou has more than 1,800 primary and middle schools with nearly 1.8 million students. In recent years, a great number of these have fallen victim to traffic accidents, added Hua.

 

"As an educational authority, we should not only attach importance to students' academic performance, but their security outside schools," Hua said.

 

A total of 42 primary and middle school students were killed by traffic accidents in Guangzhou last year, sources with the local traffic police department said.

 

Zhang Jinting, head of the Xian Lie Dong Lu Primary School, said: "Besides students, many parents also show little awareness of abiding by traffic rules. As a result, it is a must to summon their parents to schools for education on traffic rules if their children violate rules."

 

According to a traffic policeman surnamed Chen, children are oftentimes taught to run red lights during rush hour by parents.

 

"Parents' violation will set a bad example for their children," Chen said.

 

The implementation of the traffic security coordinative measures has been acclaimed by the public. By yesterday afternoon, 66 percent of the 6,022 votes on China's largest website portal Sina.com showed support for the move.

 

However, some students said that the measures will place heavier burdens on them.

 

"Besides academic performance, we now have to be more mindful of our behavior outside school since the violation of traffic rules will be written into our school performance record," said Lu Mingyun, an 11-year-old student at the Xian Lie Dong Lu Primary School.

 

(China Daily October 25, 2006)