Safety on Roads – My Safety My Life

January 13, 2020

Safety on Roads – #MySafetyMyLife

It’s All About Life – Yours, Mine & Ours

As we enter 2020, let’s make a promise to ourselves to be Wiser and Smarter! To have Good Times but keep Safety and Security uppermost!

A few years ago, some students of a Management College whilst chatting with me about Road Safety challenges suddenly said “Ma’am, Monkeys don’t know the meaning of traffic rules, Humans do. Monkeys have a habit of screeching and howling to communicate, Humans don’t.

So, why can’t we Humans Stop Honking Unnecessarily and Drive Responsibly??

I paused to reflect, surely, we cannot go back in evolution!

With 2020, the last year of the UN proclaimed “Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011-2020” having begun, we really need to have solutions in place to ensure the safe coexistence of Pedestrians with all forms of Automobiles and end the conflict on our Roads.

What causes this conflict –

• Congestion due to increasing numbers of vehicles and the encroachment of pedestrians on the carriageway
• Incorrect Footpath and Road Designs
• Lack of Discipline in both Pedestrians and Vehicle users
• Lack of understanding of our own personal safety and that of others

Over the years, the significant growth of vehicles on roads which were not designed for such volumes, has been the leading cause of accidents resulting in deaths, disabilities and hospitalizations with severe socio-economic costs across the country. Road Safety has truly become an issue of major concern at the National as well at the International level!

“Catch them young” a most commonly used phrase, is rather relevant where Road Safety is concerned. It’s never too early to educate children about Road Safety.

This education should start from the time children begin playing outdoors and learn to ride their bicycles. As passengers in vehicles and being pedestrians, children are automatically traffic participants on the roads, whether in public or private transport.

Involvement of all sections of Civil Society is crucial where Road Safety is concerned, as Safety on Roads applies to us all. Our Mission should be to inculcate Road Safety as our prime commitment among all road users, starting with young children and thereby create a new mind-set for the next generation of drivers.

 
To access the microsite MySafetyMyLife
Click On https://togethervcan.in/mysafetymylife/

The Author, Indrani Malkani, is the Chairman of V Citizens Action Network (VCAN) and is an Ashoka Fellow

Tags: Personal Safety, Safety of your Children

All our articles are periodically updated.