Joylene Griffiths-Irving (right), director of public, corporate and government affairs at the Bank of Nova Scotia, presents a DVD system to Sergeant Winston Afflic of the police's Mobile Traffic School. It was part of visual equipment donated by the bank as part of its road Safety in Schools campaign. The presentation took place yesterday at the Scotia Centre, downtown Kingston. Looking on is Corporal Ingrid Blythe. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

THE BANK of Nova Scotia(BNS) yesterday donated two television sets and two DVD systems to the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Mobile Traffic School. The donation is a continuation of the bank's Road Safety in Schools campaign.

Joylene Griffiths-Irving, director of public, corporate and government affairs at BNS, said the 27-inch flat-screen television sets and DVD equipment will be used by the police to show road-safety videos in schools across the island.

The police in Area Two, which covers Portland, St. Mary and St. Ann, and police in Area Three (Clarendon, Manchester and St. Elizabeth), will have first use of the equipment, Mrs. Irving-Griffiths said.

Sergeant Andrea Clarke of the Police Traffic Division, who attended yesterday's presentation at Scotia Centre, downtown Kingston, said the road safety campaign has helped reduce accidents involving children.

Children killed on roads

According to figures from the Police Traffic Division, 29 children died in road accidents in 2006. Nine have been killed to date this year.

The BNS road-safety campaign was launched in 2003 to help reduce the number of road accidents involving children between the ages of six and 12. To date, it has funded construction and installation of road signs at schools and areas where there is heavy traffic; and provided uniforms for school-crossing wardens.

The campaign is a joint effort among BNS, the Police Traffic Division and the Bustamante Children's Hospital.