Don’t think road mishaps happen only to others

Following basic traffic rules and not getting distracted by the thrills of speed and the joys of music can help save lives.

It was a vacation gone awry. “Though nothing drastic really happened, what we went through shook us up. And yes, become a damper for our holiday,” says Abhishek Sharma. The programming director with a local FM radio station is talking about the time he and his friends were heading for a vacation, a few years ago.
“We — a group of five friends — were zipping towards Shimla in our small hatchback,” remembers the 33-year-old. And getting into the spirit of things, the merry group had the car stereo on full blast. And high speed was par for the course “because we were in a hurry to reach our destination”.

Just as they crossed Kurukshetra, Abhishek – who was driving – saw a reddiwala “suddenly spring in front of our car”. Despite applying the brakes, the car hit the cart and the man was thrown on the side of the road. “What to say about us – mine and my co-passenger’s seat belts saved us. But the three sitting behind were all thrown forward. The girl in the middle was more hurt than the other two who were saved by the front seats,” he says.

Despite being in a state of shock, Abhishek and his friends rushed out and took the reddiwala to the hospital where he was given first-aid for his bruises. “Thankfully, nothing serious happened, otherwise, imagine the guilt we would have carried all our lives. But even this has been enough for us to ensure we start following traffic rules all the time”.

Having signed up to be a Road Hero as part of the Hero MotoCorp’s initiative, Abhishek says, “All of us need to become Road Safety ambassadors and ensure that everyone we know understands the importance of wearing a helmet when on a two-wheeler and fastening the seat belt when driving a car. The latter is essential even in the car’s rear seat. And finally, when spotting a victim of a road mishap rush him or her to the hospital just like we did,” says the youngster. And for all those wondering what their vacation was like? “Well, it was spent at the workshop getting my father’s car fixed. And having my parents scream for not being careful on the road!”

With the numbers of cars going up, the city’s traffic situation is fast getting out of hand. Unless this problem is quickly addressed, road safety will become a major concern,” says Dipesh Balani, a Police Mitra from New Delhi’s Alaknanda area. For the uninitiated, Police Mitra is a unique initiative to strengthen the police-public cooperation wherein civilians assist the city police in matters concerning the public.
Balani, a businessman, is among those citizens who have enrolled with the Delhi Police as a Police Mitra.

Determined to do his bit for improving conditions on the roads, Balani says that he is constantly vigilant and spreading the word about matters related to road safety. “In my area, I have got about 20 street lights installed on a stretch that used to remain dark and hence was prone to not just accidents but also snatching and other thefts,” he says. “Let us all become Road Heroes and work towards ensuring a safe environment around us.”

About the Campaign:

• As part of the initiative, more than 20,000 people have taken a pledge to become road heroes.
• An overwhelming response was witnessed at the IRSC-organized camps in the Delhi University to create awareness about the initiative.
• For the Buddy4Study scholarship programme, children from families of accident victims have started being identified.

To join the movement, take the pledge below or SMS Hero Your Name to 8866001830.

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