India observes Road Safety Week 2013

The 24th annual Road Safety Week was observed from January 1-7 in different parts of the country. Different and diverse programmes marked the Week ? road safety campaigns, children?s programmes and training programmes for drivers. Many government organisations, NGOs and training institutes took part in the programmes. The theme for Road Safety Week 2013 was, ?Stay Alive, don?t drink and drive?.

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) partnered with state transport departments, Central Ministries, traffic police, Institute of Driving and Training Research (IDTR) and other stakeholders to organise road safety awareness programmes for school students, teachers, drivers and the general public. It organised more than 75 Refresher Training Programmes for students and drivers in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Orissa and Uttarkhand. Road safety hoardings and banners were displayed at Delhi Airport and at all DTC depots. Banners were also displayed at all RTOs in Maharashtra. Health check-up camps for heavy commercial vehicle drivers were organised in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra with support from TCI (Transport Corporation of India) Foundation. With support from Hubert Ebner India, SIAM provided its 4200 automobile dealers web links which educated drivers and the public on road safety and conducted e-learning tests on the subject.

In Mumbai the Western India Automobile Association and NGOs such as Safe Kids helped the city traffic police organise many programmes. More than 18500 pamphlets and stickers on road safety were distributed by the Mumbai Traffic Police throughout the city, and banners and hoardings placed at all major traffic intersections. Presentations, seminars, and essay writing and drawing competitions on road safety were organised in 57 schools and colleges in which about 4980 students, 800 guardians and 270 teachers participated. Street plays were conducted at 98 locations in the city. Training programmes, workshops and health check-up camps were conducted for BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport), state transport, municipal and school bus drivers by senior officers from the traffic police. A new simulator was installed at the BEST?s Churchgate office for training drivers.

In Madurai, student volunteers stopped vehicles and pasted black stickers promoting safe driving practices on them. Pupils were educated on the use of traffic signals. The police and other officials stopped vehicles using air horns and explained to the drivers the dangers of using mobile phones while driving as well as the perils of drunken driving.

In Kerala, the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC) organised road safety classes and audiovisual programmes. The research body launched a new programme, ?Road Safety Youth Leadership? and also organised a training programme for drivers of school buses and vans, keeping in view the frequent accidents involving school bus drivers and school children. Students from the Road Safety Club of St. Joseph?s Higher Secondary School in Kerala submitted a petition to the State Chief Minister emphasising the need for implementing road safety rules.

In Navi Mumbai where Road Safety 2013 was celebrated for 15 days, the city traffic police and the Navi Mumbai Police focussed on the youth for spreading the message of road safety among school pupils and high school students. A booklet and a CD with guidelines of traffic rules were also distributed among students. Several programmes were conducted at the school and college level which included a marathon, rallies and painting competitions.

In Jammu and Kashmir, Road Safety Week was observed with great enthusiasm in the cities of Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar. In Kathua, the Motor Vehicles Department along with J & K traffic police organised scooter and motorbike rallies in which the importance of wearing helmets and seat belts and following traffic rules was impressed upon the drivers. In Kishtwar, about 500 students of different colleges and schools, NCC cadets and NSS volunteers participated in the week-long activities. CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) troops, traffic Police and other transport operators also were a part of the activities. In Udhampur rallies, medical camps for truck drivers, interactions with drivers, bus conductors and passengers as well as demonstration programmes were organised.