The National Land Management Agency’s “Educational Training Program for Human-Centered Road Design” and “Pedestrian-Friendly Roads Achievements Exhibition” are currently being held at the Kaohsiung Public Library. Citizens participating in the course program will earn a certificate and be promoted as “Road Teachers” responsible for advocating knowledge of road traffic safety and observing the risks of traffic accidents.

【Reported from Kaohsiung】

“Traffic safety is not just a phrase we memorize. Rather, we must also understand the scientific principles behind it.” The Kaohsiung Public Library (KPL) is implementing the “Reading and Road Traffic” Program initiated by the National Land Management Agency of the Ministry of the Interior and the Kaohsiung City Government’s Transportation Bureau. For this purpose, KPL invited Professor Tsu-Chiang Yen from the Department of Physics at the National Sun Yat-sen University to give a talk to an audience of parents and their children. Through explanations of the applied scientific principles, the talk allowed the audience to learn the mechanisms of using vehicle structures. At the same time, participants also came to comprehend the potential risks and importance of road traffic safety through scientific experiments. Such a hands-on approach successfully enriched their knowledge of transportation and road use.

“When your hands turn the steering wheel, your entire body will naturally move along. This results from the conservation of angular momentum.” During the event, both adult and child participants took turns holding wheels and spinning them around. When thrown to the ground, the wheels didn’t fall. Instead, they rolled forward and kept going for some time, which amazed the audience. To explain the physics behind often-seen road traffic occurrences, Professor Yen used various properties to make the concepts easier to understand, especially for children. These properties include spoons, ping pong balls, plastic bottles, and bicycle wheels.

Professor Tsu-Chiang Yen emphasized that traffic safety is more than just a concept one should memorize. One needs to truly understand the scientific principles behind traffic safety for practical application in their daily lives. Moreover, understanding these principles will also increase people’s awareness and reaction speed. Through practical activities, children became more intuitively observant of the dangers of traffic accidents. Meanwhile, parents learned how to educate their children on traffic safety. Together, their combined efforts will create safer environments for all.

In 2024, KPL organized eight popular science-themed road safety activities at the National Science and Technology Museum and several KPL branch libraries, namely those at Shanlin, Alian, Mituo, Cieding, and Meinong. Each activity drew a slew of enthusiastic participants, mainly consisting of families. Many parents have expressed their appreciation for the events, stating that lessons on the scientific principles behind road vehicles have enriched their children’s practical knowledge and allowed their families to spend time together.

        The National Land Management Agency’s “Educational Training Program for Human-Centered Road Design” and “Pedestrian-Friendly Roads Achievements Exhibition” are currently being held at the Kaohsiung Public Library. Citizens participating in the course program will earn a certificate and be promoted as “Road Teachers” responsible for advocating knowledge of road traffic safety and observing the risks of traffic accidents. Meanwhile, the “Pedestrian-Friendly Roads” Achievements Exhibition has brought together award-winning works on road traffic safety from different cities and counties. Aside from the static forms of posters and research reports, these works are also presented dynamically through human-centered traffic safety-themed interactive games. With a game of hopscotch, children can learn about traffic signs and road planning and even win prizes should they emerge victorious. The exhibition’s engaging activities have drawn in waves of families and readers eager to participate and engage in the fun.

Image 8: The National Land Management Agency’s “Educational Training Program for Human-Centered Road Design” and “Pedestrian-Friendly Roads Achievements Exhibition” are currently being held at the Kaohsiung Public Library. Citizens participating in the course program will earn a certificate and be promoted as “Road Teachers” responsible for advocating knowledge of road traffic safety and observing the risks of traffic accidents.