By Ahmed Mohiuddin Siddiqui
Every one minute an accident happens in India. A Road Safety week is celebrated with great enthusiasm every year to bring about awareness among the general public. The Ranga Reddy District Police in Telangana State launched a 7-day campaign — Road Safety week 2016. This campaign included a wide range of activities all over the district from 11th January 2016 to 17 January 2016.
The motto was to focus on ensuring that 3 Es in TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT work in alignment: EDUCATION, ENGINEERING and ENFORCEMENT.
Towards this awareness programme, people were encouraged about how to drive on road by organizing a variety of programmes related to road safety. During the whole week campaign, a variety of educational banners, safety posters, safety films, pocket guides and leaflets related to road safety were distributed to the road users.
The Road Safety week was celebrated by performing the following activities:
Road safety leaflets were distributed to the users on the road. The commuters were also explained about the methods and necessities of the road safety means. The use of helmets or seat belts while driving on the road or anywhere was highlighted. Various painting and drawing competitions, road safety announcements, exhibitions, road rules test, girl’s scooter rally to encourage the use of helmets, debates on road safety, workshops, and seminar etc activities were organized. Free medical checkup camps and driving training workshops were organized for the drivers to encourage them towards the road safety. Road safety quiz competitions were organized to promote people about road safety. The programmes were organized to educate school children about road safety. The aim of this campaign was to emphasize and accentuate people about the need of safe road travel by applying just simple rules.
According to police data, it has been noted that approximately one lakh people are getting killed per year in road accidents. Some of them become sufferers of life-threatening problems such as mental trauma, loss of memory, loss of hand or legs. Efforts from different stakeholders such as the community, transport sector, health sector, legal sector, educational institutions, highway engineers, public agencies, NGOs etc., were coordinated. Students were given a big opportunity to participate in the safety week programme to bring in the change.
During the week-long campaign, Ranga Reddy Police conducted road safety rallies cum workshops all over the district. Bike rallies were held by wearing helmets and posted flex and banners to educate the users about making the journey safe. A large number of people, students and Auto Unions actively took part. They were educated about the road safety laws and rules, methods and necessities of the road safety means, such as use of helmets or seatbelts and applying the simple rules while driving on road.
Like the Delhi police, innovative ways of giving chocolates to disciplined road users and giving roses to violators urging them to take a resolution to follow rules were under taken. “Good Citizen Selfies” with good users were encouraged by police.
Though the road safety week is over, the drive is not over yet. It will be continued in the Ranga Reddy district till the aim of 100% road safety is achieved. The Minister for Transport, Telangana State P. Mahendar Reddy, attended the programme as the chief guest. B. Sanjeeva Rao, MLA Vikarabad constituency, i N. Venkata Swamy, Addl. Superintendent of Police, Ranga Reddy district and other prominent persons attended the programme.
It is hoped that the Ranga Reddy cops led by Rema Rajeshwari, IPS, Superintendent of Police, will continue to make a difference to the lives of the general public by reducing the incidence of accidents and make road safety a reality.
