Directed Writing: Speech

Question

Road accidents have been on the increase with more young people becoming victims. Your school has decided to launch a “Road Safety Week” to raise awareness among students of the need to be more responsible on the road chairperson of the school’s organising committee, you have been asked to give a talk to other students on road safety.

Below are some notes you have made on the reasons why road accidents occur and suggestions to reduce the number of accidents.

Reasons

* Speed
* Reckless driving
* Tiredness
* Racing
* Poor maintenance of vehicles
* Road conditions

Suggestions

* Strict enforcement of traffic rules
* Increase fines
* Road-worthy vehicles
* Awareness campaigns
* Increase age limit for new drivers
* Suspend driving license

Write out the talk that you would give. When writing out what you plan to say, you should remember to:

- address the audience
- introduce the topic of the talk
- use all the notes above
- end the talk appropriately 

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Sample Answer

A very good morning to the Principal of SM Sri Mayang, teachers and fellow friends. As the chairperson of the school’s organizing committee for the ‘Road Safety Week’, I would like to give a talk on some safety tips for the students. As we know, there has been an increase in the accidents reported involving students of this school. I hope this talk will raise your awareness to be more responsible and careful when using the road.

I would like to identify some of the reasons why road accidents occur. First, speeding beyond the prescribed limits is the main cause. Some drivers not only speed but also drive recklessly, breaking road rules and beating the traffic lights. Moreover, drivers who are tired after long distance driving or after a long day work, may not be able to concentrate on the road, thus causing accidents. Youngsters using the road as their racing track is another cause too. Drivers who do not check and maintain their vehicles often may be involved in accidents because their vehicle is faulty. Many potholes and uneven roads which contribute to the poor condition of the road too can cause accidents.

However, these problems can be overcome with strict enforcement of traffic rules to those who flaunt the law. The offenders should be caught and fines should be increased. Only road-worthy vehicles, which have been maintained well, should be permitted on the roads. Awareness campaigns on safe driving should be carried out everywhere. Since young drivers are high on the accident list, their age limit should be increased. If the drivers are involved in any accidents, their licence should be suspended.

I hope the short talk that I have delivered have given you some ideas of how to use the road safely. Thank you for listening.