Road safety should form part of curriculum at school level, writes
R. Rajaram
The past one week saw a mosaic of programmes organised by the official machinery aimed at creating awareness among public on road safety, traffic rules and safe driving during the Road Safety Week celebration in Tiruchi and its adjoining districts.
It was yet another conscious attempt by the government to drive home road safety message to all segments of the society through distribution of pamphlets, pasting of bulls-eye stickers on the headlights of vehicles, medical camps and other events.
Sensitisation programmes were also held for motorists as part of the celebrations during which the do’s and dont’s while riding vehicles were clearly explained. The theme of this year’s celebrations was “Life is Safe If Driving is Safe.”
Amid all these awareness campaigns on the one hand to educate the public, the disturbing phenomenon perceptible was the incidence of fatal accidents. Over 30 fatal accident cases were reported within a week from January 1 in various police stations limits across the Central Zone, comprising Tiruchi Rural, Pudukottai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Karur, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts.
The casualties in the fatal accident cases was 37 within a week with the victims being either occupants of cars, cleaner of mini goods carrier, cyclist and even bus passengers. Rash driving, negligence and error in judgment have also been causes behind road accidents, say law enforcers.
Common sights Notwithstanding booking of cases under various heads of offences under the Motor Vehicle Act, instances of drunken driving, over speeding, use of mobile phones while driving and overtaking on wrong side - all of which could cause accidents - are common sights every day.
In the past one week alone, law enforcers had booked over 150 drunken driving cases across the Central Zone, a clear indication of this persisting violation. One way of avoiding accidents due to drunken driving is to close the TASMAC liquor shops and bars situated along the highways, says M. Sekaran, convenor, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations, Tiruchi. Strict enforcement of law would go a long way in checking accidents, he adds.
Given the burgeoning vehicle population, road safety and safe driving are aspects which need to be constantly percolated among general public. Road safety and its related aspects should form part of the academic curriculum at the school level to inculcate road safety culture among students from the young age itself, says M. A. Aleem, Professor of Neurology, K.A.P. Viswanatham Government Medical College and Annal Gandhi Memorial Government Headquarters Hospital, Tiruchi.
Educational institutions and parents too have a responsibility in emphasising the message of road safety to the young minds, Dr. Aleem adds.
“Celebrating Road Safety Week has become more a ritual. What happens after the week is more important. It’s not enough that we train the school children ceremoniously at the traffic park at the District Collectorate. It is imperative to inculcate the values at school through curriculum, rather than making Road Safety Week a ritual”, says Prof. R. Panchanathan, a social activist.
Periodic meetings with each group concerned – parents, teachers, students and vehicle drivers should be convened during which rule adherence should be insisted. Violators of rules should be punished without succumbing to sympathy, says Mr. Panchanathan.
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 09, 2010
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