In response to the pressing need to reduce road crash risks and fatalities, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has designated January 11-17 as 'National Road Safety Week 2024.' To address this initiative, Safe Kids Foundation, an organisation dedicated to child safety in India, has joined forces with Pune Traffic Police and the Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) Road Department to orchestrate a series of events aimed at heightening awareness about road safety.
The inauguration took place at Bremen Chowk, Aundh, at 10am on Thursday and was presided over by Vijay Kumar Magar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), alongside traffic police officials, representatives from the PMC's Road Department, civil society organisations, students, teachers, and residents.
The events encompass a diverse range of activities, including road safety training for students at the Children’s Traffic Park in Aundh, street plays performed by professional artists at major junctions, starting at Bremen Chowk, and debate competition in schools. Additionally, there will be a poster competition featuring the work of professional artists.
India currently holds the unfortunate distinction of ranking first in the number of road accident deaths among 199 countries. With nearly 1.5 lakh lives lost annually in road accidents, the alarming statistics reveal that one Indian succumbs to a road accident every three minutes, translating to 16 lives lost every hour. A staggering 70% of these fatalities involve pedestrians, two-wheeler riders, and cyclists.
Adding urgency to this situation, the UN General Assembly has declared 2021-2030 as the 'Decade of Action for Road Safety,' with the ambitious goal of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.
Given these circumstances, it becomes paramount to disseminate crucial information to the public regarding the perils of reckless or irresponsible driving.
