KARIMNAGAR: A number of high-profile road accident deaths have been recorded across the country in the past few years, with the most notable one being of former Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry in September this year. At such a bleak time, a Karimnagar-based organisation, the Indian Youth Secured Organisation (IYSO), along with Safer India Roads have embarked on a 1,000-day non-stop road safety awareness programme.
Currently, on its 297th day, the journey that began in Karimnagar has reached the topmost part of the country, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Along with the local police, they are handing out small gifts to those who are following traffic rules and other measures for road safety.
“Safety is our motto and our vision is to reduce the number of road accidents to zero by 2025,” IYSO president Ghansham Ojha tells TNIE. In J&K, they held a programme at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar. This apart, they have also conducted awareness programmes in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Punjab.
Ghanshyam explains that when they note that a bike rider is wearing a helmet or a car driver who has fastened their seat belt, they stop them with the help of local traffic police and give them rewards such as cup sets or plate collection. When asked about this novel method, he explains that people are more likely to take note of such an initiative as it’s a positive reinforcement and will follow traffic rules when there is an incentive, albeit small. This apart, they also distribute a chart explaining traffic signals and road safety rules to commuters.