TO THE EDITOR:
Every year, Chile deploys an enormous force of solidarity so that the Telethon can serve more than 30,000 children and young people. Yet that same energy does not translate into preventing the disabilities that can result from road accidents.
We cannot be moved by children's rehabilitation while at the same time ignoring that nearly 11 minors are injured every day on our roads, many of them due to the distraction or recklessness of the person driving. Nor can we accept that the State continues to treat child road safety as a secondary matter, especially when seven out of ten children who lose their lives on the roads are passengers and 65% travel without a safety seat.
Joining the Telethon also means committing to ensuring that fewer children need to reach it. And in that task, the country has a responsibility it can no longer keep evading: preventing avoidable child deaths and injuries.
Paula Deimel
AI Brief
Your highlights
Teletón. Reference file photo from teleton.cl CommentsTO THE EDITOR:Every year, Chile deploys an enormous force of solidarity so that the Teletón can care for more than 30,000 children and young people. However, that same energy does not translate into preventing the disabilities that can result from traffic accidents. We cannot be moved by children's rehabilitation and, at the same time, ignore that nearly 11 minors are injured every day on our roads, many of them due to the distraction or recklessness of the driver. Nor can we accept that the State continues to treat child road safety as a secondary matter, especially when seven out of ten children who lose their lives on the roads are passengers and 65% travel without a safety seat. Joining the Teletón also means committing to ensuring that fewer children need to reach it. And in that task, the country has a responsibility it can no longer keep evading: preventing avoidable child deaths and injuries. Paula DeimelMore about:teletonPreventionChildrenTraffic accidents