CEO of the NGO Nation Drivers and president of the Trinidad and Tobago Road Safety Council, Stanislaus "Stan" Huggins, called for a driver's education programme in schools when he visited Newsday's head office on Tuesday

He warned, "We have people now, when they reach 18 years old, going to get their driver's licence and don't have a clue what road safety means."

Huggins said such a programme in schools is a vital step towards addressing increasing road fatalities. He said education is one of three key elements of road safety, along with enforcement and engineering. He called for a comprehensive approach, which includes educating drivers, enforcing traffic laws rigorously and enhancing road infrastructure.

Founded in 2005, Huggins' organisation has been collaborating with schools using his road-safety creed. His goal is to instil a safety-oriented culture, particularly among young people who are new drivers, with a focus on road regulations, defensive driving techniques and fostering courteous behaviour on the road.

Expressing concern over the demerit point system, Huggins said it penalises drivers without providing the necessary education in safe driving practices. He called for a collaborative effort involving schools, parents, the National Parent Teachers' Association and the Ministry of Works and Transport to integrate road-safety education into the school curriculum, beginning as early as primary school.

Huggins has over 25 years of experience as a road safety and insurance consultant.

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