Prof (Dr.) Vikas Sharma & Komal Sudan
- National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative in India aimed at raising awareness about road safety and reducing the number of road accidents. Traditionally observed on first week of January, this campaign is organized by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The event emphasizes the collective responsibility of individuals, organizations and governments to make roads safer for everyone.Road safety slogans are simple, catchy sentences or phrases promoting road safety and safe driving practices and using road safety slogans is a cost-effective way to raise awareness and promote the best safety practices on the road.
- Alert today to live tomorrow
- Better late than never
- Speed thrills, but kills
- Driving fast can be the last
- Normal speed meets every need
- Stop accidents, before they stop you
- All accidents are preventable
- Drinking and driving kills
- Leave sooner, drive slower, live long
- Accidents don’t happen; they are caused
- Follow traffic rules, save your future
- Drive with reason this holiday season
Importance of Road Safety: Road safety is a critical public health concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for individuals aged 5 to 29. The recent statistics from the country indicate that about 1,264 accidents and 462 deaths occur on the roads each day, which is 53 accidents and 19 deaths per hour. Beyond the tragic loss of life, road accidents impose a significant economic burden, costing nations billions in healthcare expenses, lost productivity and damage to infrastructure. The main aim of National Road Safety Week includes awareness of the general public about the traffic rules, encourage responsible behaviour on the roads and promote infrastructure modification that enhance safety. The campaign seeks to ensure that everyone-drivers, modification that enhance safety. The campaign seeks to ensure that everyone – drivers, passengers and pedestrians, understands their role in preventing accidents. This week involves activities such as workshops, road safety drill, education on campaign and rally.
- Key Themes: The primary objectives of National Road Safety Week are to promote safe driving practices, raise public awareness, to reduce a high rate of road accidents and create a culture of safety among all road users. Every year the campaign adopts a theme to focus on specific elements of road safety, e.g., the theme like “Be a Road Safety Hero,” emphasizing individual actions in enhancing traffic safety and promoting support to crash victims. Some common themes include:
- Speed management: Focusing on risk-associated with speeding and stressing on the need to respect, set speed limits.
- Drunk driving prevention: Educating people about the consequences of risks of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Pedestrian and cyclist safety: Raising awareness about the vulnerability of non-motorized road users.
- Use of seatbelts and helmets: Promoting the consistent use of safety equipment in order to minimize the injury severity in accidents.
- Activities During National Road Safety Week: A variety of programmes are carried during National Road Safety Week in order to target the various segments of society. Schools and colleges organize programs like workshops, seminars etc., in order to let the students know about the rules and regulations of road safety and disadvantages of negligent driving. Street plays, music fusion and awareness activities such as rallies are organized by local government and NGOs to create awareness on the risk associated with road safety. TV and radio as well as social sites are equally effective in relaying the message on road safety to the nation’s populace. Memorials and night marches are used to celebrate lives of those who perished in road accidents in order to ensure that everyone understands the cost of unsafe roads.
- Role of Technology in Enhancing Road Safety: Advancements in technology has played a major role in improving road safety. Improved safety features including an automatic braking system, lane warning system and those of the traffic management system assists in preventing accidents and quick response to disasters. Smartphone applications also play a role by providing real-time traffic updates and increasing traffic safety measures. Governments are increasingly investing in intelligent transport systems (ITS) to optimize the traffic control systems. It is used to reduce rate limit, speed limit and it is a part of surveillance, with gadgets like speed cameras or red-light cameras.
- Role of citizens: Although governments and organizations have responsibility of providing essential safety mechanisms on the roads, people have equal responsibility as well. Every driver needs to ensure that she/he obeys the traffic laws, does not use a mobile phone while on the road. Some of the things that people should avoid doing are aggressive driving, lack of seat belt use and inept use of child safety seats. Pedestrians, too, need to be careful and avoid the use of the road by using proper channel crossings and avoiding walking close to cars. Cyclists and motorcyclists should wear their helmets and also ensure their bikes have reflector lights among other safety measures. Despite these concerted efforts, several challenges persist, including lack of awareness, enforcement issues and infrastructure deficiencies. Addressing these challenges, requires a multi-faceted approach involving enhanced education, improved enforcement, infrastructure development and community engagement.
- To conclude, National Road Safety Week is more than just an awareness campaign; it is a call to action for every individual to contribute to making our roads safer. By raising awareness, promoting responsible behaviour and leveraging technology, we can move closer to the goal of zero fatalities on the roads. As individuals, our commitment to road safety today will determine the legacy we leave for future generations. Let us pledge to make our roads safer, one step at a time.
(The authors are from the Division of Biochemistry, FBSc., SKUAST-Jammu)
