Road safety a shared responsibility, says Karnataka Governor
BENGALURU: As part of the week-long ‘Ride Safe India’ campaign, an initiative of The New Indian Express in collaboration with Hero MotoCorp to promote road safety as the topmost priority among road users, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot flagged off a bike rally from Raj Bhavan on Sunday. The rally saw participation of over 250 people from diverse backgrounds.
The governor appreciated the campaign for road safety through education and awareness and noted that road safety is a crucial issue in Bengaluru, which is developing at a rapid pace with the number of two-wheelers on the roads increasing.
He highlighted that traffic jams are a significant concern for Bengaluru residents and listed causes for road accidents, including speeding, use of mobile phones, drunk driving, wrong side or lane driving, lack of discipline, jumping red lights, not using safety devices like helmets and seat belts, vehicle conditions, weather conditions, road conditions, and mistakes by drivers, cyclists or pedestrians.
The governor stressed that road accidents kill millions of people worldwide and seriously injure countless others, making it necessary to adopt road safety measures. He emphasised that it is everyone’s responsibility to follow road safety rules and raise awareness among others, as it requires collective effort and cooperation. “By prioritising road safety, lives can be made safer,” the governor added.
He noted that the government and police are working together with voluntary organisations to ensure the safety of every person on the road and to reduce the number of road accidents.
Expressing pleasure that TNIE and Hero MotoCorp are working to raise awareness and instill a sense of responsibility about road safety through the campaign, the governor distributed road safety kits to the employees of Raj Bhavan symbolically.
Over the course of a week, TNIE will host awareness programmes in various parts of the city aimed at distributing safety kits to individuals, emphasising the importance of road safety.
The initiatives seek to equip participants with essential tools for safe driving practices. TNIE Karnataka’s Senior General Manager P Suresh Kumar, Deputy Resident Editor Nirad G Mudur and Assistant Resident Editor Ramu Patil were present.
