ADILABAD: On the dangerous highways, a new army of guardians is taking charge. They are not police officers but dhaba owners, mechanics and local youth as the district’s first line of defence against rising road fatalities through a newly formed network of 450 Road Safety Clubs (RSCs).
With accidents, particularly two-wheeler crashes, increasing across Adilabad, the district police have been focusing on awareness about helmet use, drunken driving, wrong-side driving and other violations. As part of this effort, they have introduced CPR and first-aid training and selected volunteers to form the RSC.
Members are tasked with conducting awareness programmes, ensuring adherence to traffic rules and identifying accident-prone spots in their villages. They will alert authorities about necessary safety measures such as installing speed breakers, removing hazardous trees and placing signboards.
The volunteers have been trained in essential steps to take at accident sites, including performing CPR when an injured person has no heartbeat or is not breathing. The police have also handed over 100 first-aid kits to the clubs.
Those selected include villagers along national and state highways, dhaba owners and workers, petrol pump staff, mechanics and tea stall operators. Five youth from each roadside village on state and national highways have joined the initiative, forming a grassroots network aimed at saving lives.
SP Akhil Mahajan said the aim is to reduce accidents and ensure timely first aid for victims. “We have selected RSCs from villages to help prevent accidents and respond immediately when they do occur,” he added.