Drive Safe, Drive Happy!!

 According to The Global status report on road safety 2013  by WHO “ More than 231 000 people are killed in road traffic crashes in India every year.”

 If we take a look at the Statistics, approximately half of all deaths on the country's roads are among vulnerable road users - motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists.

There are growing no. of incidents of accidents of teenagers on account of Rash driving. Bikers sometimes suffer from injuries and accidents because of their tendency to fly in the air rather than being grounded. The drunken driving is injurious to both health of the driver and the pedestrians.

Life of a person is not only his own, but there are several lives connected with one life. One must therefore be responsible towards one’s own life as well as life of his fellow beings.

We all talk about our fundamental rights more often than we talk about our fundamental duties. To have improved road infrastructures and improved medical facilities is sure one of our rights. But when it comes to road safety, our duties play more important role. So let’s all pledge to play our part honestly and abide by the Traffic rules.

• Say no to drinking while driving.

Drunken Driving is fatal to self and others.

•  Driving faster can cause disaster.

Drive slowly and don’t cross the speed limits. Don’t let the hurry of a few minutes take away a lifetime from you.

•  Using a seat belt, an unforeseen tragedy can be dealt.  

Seat belts are the most important safety feature of a car.  Seat belts reduce the risk of  losing life in a crash by about 50%

• Talking on a handset can be a reason to be upset.

While driving one should never talk on phone. Either use hand free cell phones or stop the car and talk.

•  Wear a helmet, to avoid a stalemate

Wearing a helmet is a must for two wheelers as it can save one from fatal head injuries in case of an accident.

•  Haste makes waste.

Never cross the roads hastily, avoid listening to music while crossing, pay attention and don’t run into any risk of life

•  Be a Watchdog when with kids.

Keep an eye on children. Don’t let them play on the road.

•  We two, but not our two.

Avoid Overloading of vehicles. Three people at a time should not sit on two wheeler.

•  Rest is important.

In umpteen no. of cases accidents happen because of the sleepiness of driver. Take proper rest and avoid driving too long at a stretch

• Patience is a virtue.

Keep patience and don’t break the signals. Be a responsible citizen.

To make sure people follow their duties well, many of the above mentioned have already been made obligations by the way of law. But still we are lacking in the fulfillment of our basic duties. Increasing the amount of penalty and stringently imposing the laws is one suggested solution. But most importantly awareness should be increased among people by way of more and more campaigns, educating the children and youth about road sense and etiquettes. The automobile companies should also promote the use of safety features and encourage their customers to exploit these features. The use of helmets should be promoted by the way of advertisements.

Besides the precautions, the post crash care is also important. The tragedies that cannot be avoided should at least be mitigated. There should be emergency help lines readily available and ambulances dedicated for the cause of road mishaps. The appropriate steps should be taken by govt hospitals and trusts etc.

The bottom-line is , DRIVE SAFE AND DRIVE HAPPY.

The post is written for indiblogger The Nissan Safety Driving Forum. 

Visit the site for more tips on safe driving and do spread the word.