Children of Tartu County kindergardens receive OLE’s safety vests

On June 3rd NPO Operation lifesaver Estonia (OLE) and Southern Police Prefecture handed out more than 760 signal vests to the kindergartens located in Tartu and Tartu County.
The vests were given to the following kindergartens: Tartu Maarjamõisa, Ülenurme, Nõgiaru, Luke, Nõo, Tähtvere, Piilupesa, Tõrvandi and Elva.
The objective of the project was to make our youngest citizens more visible in everyday traffic and it was launched by OLE in cooperation with the Estonian Foundation of Railway Culture and Estonian Boarder Guard and Police Board. The project is called “Signal vests for children living in the proximity of railways“ and during the duration of the project are distributed 3330 safety vests to kindergartens all over Estonia. In the end of April the first 1036 signal vests were handed out in Ida-Viru County.
“In addition to providing other necessary knowledge, both parents and kindergarten teachers also have to play an important role in establishing the right values that would help them to survive in daily traffic situations,” said Tamo Vahemets. He added that OLE is trying to help the parents and teachers in their valuable and difficult work. “Receiving safety vests should help children to understand from young age that safety is in their own hands,“ added Vahemets.
The Head of the Regional Police Work Division of Southern Police Prefecture, Police Lieutenant-Colonel Tiit Allik admitted that despite to the fact that observing trains is a pleasant and interesting activity for many children, they still have to develop a sense of danger in relation to railways and traffic in general. “For that reason, the police organises traffic safety lectures for kindergarten children and their teachers where are also discussed the dangers related to railways. But still – while playing, a ball rolling to road or railway tracks is certainly more important than the information heard in classes. Making children more visible with safety vests is a long step forward towards ensuring the safety of children in traffic,“ explained Tiit Allik.
The project is financed by the Estonian Foundation of Railway Culture and the total costs of the project is 250 000 Estonian kroons. Riivo Sinijärv, Chairman of the Management Board of the foundation, explained that the foundation is happy to support projects that help to promote traffic safety, particularly among children and youth. “We hope that it would inspire them to improve our overall traffic culture in the future,“ was Sinijärv hopeful.
OLE is a non profit organisation founded on 19 November 2004 that bases its activities on the work principles of Operation lifesaver Inc. (www.oli.org) founded in 1972 in the USA by the American Association of Railroads, National Rail Passengers’ Cooperation and Railroad Promotion Institute and is an affiliate of this organisation.
 

Additional information:
Tamo Vahemets
Tel 615 6777
Mob: 504 5112
E-mail tamo@operationlifesaver.eu
www.operationlifesaver.eu
Kristina Kostina
PR Officer
Police and Border Guard Board
Mob: 51 87 911