Road Safety Rules of India

The recent demise of Cyrus Mistry in a road accident has sparked outrage upon the implementation of road safety rules in India. A preliminary probe revealed that Cyrus’s car exceeded the speed limit and he was not wearing a seat belt.

India unfortunately tops the international table of road deaths every year. In 2019 alone, a staggering 1.51 lakh individuals lost their lives due to road crashes. That calculates to around 413 deaths every day. India attributes to around 2% of all the motor vehicles globally, yet it accounts for more than 11% of road traffic deaths.

The primary reason for most of the accidents can be attributed to poor infrastructure like faulty road engineering, bad junction design, potholes, inadequate signage and road markings.

But these factors are not in the command of the common man. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that its citizens are availed of safe road infrastructure. The citizens at the most can raise a voice against the government for the bringing up of certain policies and provisions for bettering road safety.

But what’s controllable is the measures we can take to ensure our safety. Following and implementation of even the basic safety rules are of paramount importance as they can they can considerably drop the risk of fatalities and serious injuries at the time of an accident.

Top Road Safety Rules of India

Every state of India has enacted and imposed certain road laws and measures to safeguard its citizens. Listed below are some of the very important and principal road safety measure that one must follow-

• Wearing a Helmet: The rider and the pillion of a motorcycle are expected to put on ISI-certified helmets while driving. They can significantly protect your head during a collision.

• Avoid Swerving Between Lanes: Many riders especially the young ones enjoy biking. This should be avoided as it can cause panic and confusion to other drivers. One must follow lane discipline.

• Wearing Seatbelts: Just like in the case of helmets, all the passengers of a car are expected to put on their seatbelts. Seatbelts help you stay buckled up during a collision and restrain the most vital organs of your body.

• Abide by the Speed Limit: One must adhere to the speed limits imposed. In the case of high speeds, it is quite likely that one loses control and might run into something or somebody.

• No Drunk Driving: Being under the influence of alcohol impairs your cognitive functioning significantly. This can lead to you losing control over your vehicle and can be detrimental to others as well.

• Follow Traffic Lights: Traffic lights ensure the separation of pedestrians from the flow of traffic. They also prevent the collision of vehicles coming from different directions. Accidents can be substantially curbed by following traffic lights.

• Avoid Getting Distracted: Distractions like mobile phones can cost lives. While driving, one must fully focus on the road.

Initiative by EdJustice Foundation

This seed of road safety should be planted into children from the very beginning, so that they can grow up to become responsible citizens. And so, EdJustice Foundation in collaboration with CARS (Community Action for Road Safety), organized a road safety awareness drive at Government Senior Secondary School of Chatarpura, Rajasthan. This school has been adopted by EdJustice Foundation under our GYAAN DAAN Scheme.

The session was attended by 180 students wherein they were taught about the various road safety rules and their importance. The session ended with a quiz and gifts were distributed to everyone.

Leave Sooner, Drive Slower, Live Longer. Period.

Jai Hind!!!