ROAD SAFETY – INDIA’S BIGGEST EMERGING CHALLENGE

India with just 1% of the vehicular population accounts for 10% of the Road Fatalities. A multicultural, multi-religious democracy of more than one billion has 29 official languages. With its size, population, diversity, urbanization and motorization; Road Safety is the biggest emerging challenge.

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Journey began in 2003 with development of illustration and animation based educational website for Chandigarh Traffic Police.

Presently, it gets more than 250,000 hits/month and over 50,000 have voluntarily tested their knowledge.

Its success was widely covered by media and facilitated our entry into the neighbouring state of Haryana.

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COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE ROAD SAFETY RESOURCE

Developed cost effective, easy to comprehend Multimedia lectures on “Safe & Responsible Driving”

Established “Computer based License Testing System”. This first step towards standardisation of Licensing system was not only covered

widely by Indian media but BBC World covered it twice through “Collision Course” and “India’s Motoring Revolution.”

FROM VIRTUAL WORLD TO THE STREET

In the absence of Traffic Safety Education as part of school curriculum we published “Your Child’s Road Safety Handbook” to train the next generation on road users. The “Ministry of Road Transport & Highways” directed all STC to use it. The book has been placed in all National and State libraries through RRLF (The nodal agency of

Government of India) On recommendation of BPRD, State Police Units have distributed through their “Road safety cells”. Further the multimedia version of the book is being used extensively and is being translated in 6

vernacular languages as it is illustrative in nature, hence easily replicable.

FIRST STEP TO TRAFFIC SAFETY EDUCATION

Through extensive uses of pictorial tools the book coversthe following:

On Foot While Cycling On Two-Wheeler or in Car School Bus Road Signs and Marking School Area Traffic Management Code of Safe Practice Parents and Adults

Publications underway “Handbook on Safe and Responsible Driving”& “Handbook on Road Signs, markings & Signals.”

BOOK METHODOLOGY

Established website as a Road Safety resource.

Developed posters, CDs, stickers for both National & International Government,

Semi Government & Corporate bodies.

EXTENDING REACH

Regularly conduct drives through testimonials and by going to bars with alcohol-sensors to challenge the normative behaviour of DUI.

Last Diwali, India’s most important festival, we reinforced the message by distributing personalised cards and by writing “DON’T DRINK & DRIVE” with candles in the city centre.

STEPS INITIATED TO EDUCATE ABOUT DUI

Regularly highlight through media that deaths reported as a consequence of road crashes are not

statistics.

Since 2006 we have been commemorating World Remembrance Day and last November, we

gathered families of road crash victims at city’s most visible venue, The Lake.

UNFORGETTABLE UNBEARABLE LOSS

Purposely got a traffic infringement issued for not a dangerous road. Highlighted it through the media and got the road repaired.

Used media to influence policy makers, general public by publishing research conducted.

ACTIVISM + MEDIA = CHANGE

CAMPAIGN 2009 – CAUSE n EFFECT

The campaign was built around “There are NO accidents.” They are not will of God, but are causative in nature and hence preventable.

The campaign focused on human factors responsible for fatalities and urged people to be adopt responsible road behaviour.

Emotive messages were part of campaign and used testimonials.

REACHING OUT

Pamphlets have been included in the License Application and Vehicle Registration Form.

Street plays were conducted at 14 different locations in the city. VRUS educated to adopt low cost affordable measures to mitigate

their vulnerability by putting reflective tapes on over 2000 cycles, rickshaws and rehris.

Overwhelming WORDS

Phenomenally highlighted the cause through media by getting these events covered on day to day basis.

Wishing you a safe journey calledLIFE…

Visit us at www.arrivesafe.org