By Shubhangi Tambwekar

WDR , World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic victims, is observed annually on the third Sunday of November. This year , Sanjay and I were privileged to be invited to Jaipur by Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety. Based in Jaipur, this foundation has been doing path breaking work in road safety since 2001.

The Arundhati Foundation and Muskaan have been born out of the same pain : Loss of our daughters in Road crashes. Dr Mridul and Shri Pramod Bhasin lost their daughter Durva in an accident in 1999. Muskaan was born out of the pain of loss in 2001. This interview of Dr. Mridul Bhasin says it all.

Since then , the Bhasin’s have done remarkable work in the field of traffic safety especially in educating students, professionals and even the police. They have developed a Teachers’ Manual that is quite unique – to help teachers bring road safety into the school with a structured curriculum for grades 6-12. This has well curated content, a structure to engage the students, and exercises to help the teachers and children to internalise the lessons.
We were extremely impressed with the community that Muskaan has built with people from all walks of life that is deeply committed to the cause and has taken the message further to various places in India. Muskaan has deservedly received received many national and international awards for this stellar work.

This year, children from over 45 schools participated in offering shraddhanjali, and then performing choir singing, theatre and dance drama creating awareness about various aspects of road safety. Students had also participated in a challenge, creating small but very impactful reels. It was a scintillating display of talent and hard work by about 600 students! We are sure the preparation for the event and the performance would have no doubt left a strong impression on them regarding road safety.

One of the key component of Muskaan’s WDR event is Samvaad – an interview with those victim families. We were invited for this segment, because of our attempt to go beyond the pain and devoted our efforts to the cause of improvement of road safety.
Dignitaries from Rajasthan Police we’re present and they gave their inputs and advice regarding the challenges in road safety.

Here is a link to the media coverage .

We have come back with lot of knowledge, insight and learning from this amazing foundation. We will be joining hands to work together in the field of awareness and education with Muskaan and look forward to it. To all its hardworking pillars of support led by Neha Khullar, their dedicated interns, Dr Mridul Bhasin, Shri Pramod Bhasin and their son Shantanu Bhasin,  our pranaams.
For those interested, the work of Muskaan Foundation for Road Safety can be seen here .

Here are some pictures from the event.

A Freedom We Miss!
As India celebrates its 78th Independence Day, a day of immense pride and reflection, it’s essential to evaluate not just the progress we’ve made as a nation but also the challenges that persist. Our track record on road safety stands out as alarmingly poor. India holds the dubious distinction of having the worst road safety record in the world, accounting for nearly 11% of global road accident deaths, despite having only 1% of the world’s vehicles. In 2023 alone, 168,000 lives were lost in road crashes across the country—a stark reminder that while we have achieved political freedom, the fight for safety and security on our roads is far from over.

The Human Cost
These numbers are not just statistics; they represent families torn apart, dreams shattered, and lives cut short prematurely. Every road accident has a human story behind it, and the cost of these accidents goes beyond the immediate loss of life. Families lose breadwinners, children are orphaned, and survivors often face long-term physical and psychological trauma. The economic impact is also significant, with road accidents costing the Indian economy an estimated 3% of its GDP annually. This is a substantial burden for a developing nation striving to lift millions out of poverty.

Roadblocks to Safety
Several factors contribute to this grim scenario. Poor infrastructure, including inadequate road design, lack of pedestrian pathways, insufficient traffic signals, and poor road conditions, plays a significant role. The rapid growth in the number of vehicles on the roads has not been matched by corresponding improvements in road infrastructure, creating dangerous conditions for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and passengers.

Driver behaviour is another critical issue. The disregard for traffic rules, over-speeding, drunk driving, and distracted driving are rampant across the country. The enforcement of traffic laws is often lax, and penalties for violations are not stringent enough to deter dangerous behaviour. Moreover, the lack of adequate training for drivers exacerbates the problem.

The government has taken some steps in this direction, such as the introduction of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act in 2019, which aims to improve road safety through stricter penalties for traffic violations and better enforcement of laws. However, much more needs to be done. Public awareness campaigns, better infrastructure planning, and stricter enforcement of traffic laws are essential. Additionally, road safety education should be integrated into school curriculums to instill safe driving habits from a young age. Improving public transport will also help alleviate the stress on roads.

Individual Responsibility
The freedom to move safely on our roads is a right that every Indian should enjoy. But this freedom comes with responsibility. Regardless of road conditions, traffic, or weather, a good driver always prioritizes safety and takes responsibility for safe travel. This requires focus and anticipatory alertness. The main reasons for conflict on the road are invariably related to hurry, an underestimation of risk, and ignorance. I urge each of us to commit to following the key tenets of proactive driving:

The Road Ahead
True freedom is not just about political sovereignty but also about the freedom to live and move safely in our own country. Road safety is a fundamental aspect of this freedom, and improving it should be a national priority.
It is not just a policy issue; it’s a social responsibility requiring a collective effort from the government, civil society, and each of us. As citizens, we must promote a culture of safety on our roads. Let us pledge to first take responsibility ourselves, to walk, ride, or drive safely, and to be role models for our near and dear ones.
Only when every Indian enjoys the freedom to move safely on our roads can we truly say that we are a free and secure nation.

Jul 22, 2024 : We had the good fortune to visit Dhempe College of Arts and Science, Panaji, Goa, where Shubhangi and I had completed our higher secondary education.

The newly appointed principal of Dhempe College, Dr Ramu Murthy, is an old childhood friend. I took the opportunity to congratulate him in person, and then requested him to organize my talk on Road Safety. Ramu readily agreed, and he set it up very nicely, as the opening event of this year’s National Social Service program. The lamp was lit by Dr Ramakrishna Dhume who was a professor of Chemistry at the same college for many years, and also led the NSS activities there.

This is the first time we addressed a college audience – students of BSc and BA. We had about 120 people in the room.

As usual, I refined my talk a bit. Goa has a very high incidence of road crashes (almost 3000 in 2023) and over 60% of them involve 2 wheelers. Hence, I put a greater emphasis on safe riding on 2 wheelers. To illustrate risks from blind spots, reduced collision avoidance space, wrong side driving, mobile usage, I picked video clips involving 2 wheelers.

We want the students to understand that there is science behind the safety principles. Hence, I show how the laws of physics govern what happens on our roads.

And Shubhangi appeals to the heart, urging everyone to think of their parents, their siblings. When she talks about our own horrific experience, it is to let people know that statistics do not matter, the loss for families cannot be measured. She urged the students to be advocates, and influence their parents. She also makes a specific appeal. This time, she had noticed that many people in Goa do not wear seat belts in the rear. The buckles are hidden inside the seat covers! So she urged everyone to make it a point to check the rear seat belts in their cars, and use them.

It was wonderful when all the people in the auditorium stood up and took the Safety Pledge in one voice.

One of the compliments we received after the talk was from the Vice Principal, Dr Swati Pawar, who said that she had never heard anyone bring forth the science behind safety. It was heartening to receive the feedback from the students, many of them have noted down 4-5 key points they took away from the session. Blind Spots and Collision Avoidance Space were new concepts for most of the students.

Thank you, dear Ramu and all the NSS volunteers for this opportunity. Let’s continue to show a positivie attitude and commitment to safety. Drive Safely!

Apr 22, 2024

It was very heartening when we got the feedback about the positive impact of our training!

Today, about 160 employees of Pine Labs joined us for a Webinar on Proactive Driving (Defensive Driving). These are the field staff who are frequently out on the roads meeting customers or prospects, and also attending to service issues. A majority of them use 2 wheelers, so I tweaked the content accordingly.

I got feedback from a couple of them :
* Amit shared that he had learned about blind spots about a year ago, during my previous program, and has been very conscious of checking his blind spots before lane change.
* Vivek shared how the use of helmet saved him when he met with an accident at night due to poor visibility.

It is heartening not just to get this positive feedback, but also to know that people do listen, internalize, and apply the learning. It may be a small percentage, but every single person counts! And this gives us the energy and reason to persevere!

I took the opportunity to revise my content. Based on some of the insights I have seen on X (Twitter), particularly from @TopDriverIndia and @DriveSmart_IN, I incorporated some changes for
* Keeping the 2-sec distance ( 3 sec if speed > 70 kmph )
* CAS = collision avoidance space, especially in the context of clusters
* MSM = Mirror Signal Manoeuvre technique when changing lanes

Thanks to Nandini Jha and Pine Labs for prioritising road safety and organising this session.

Raghav Chakravarthy, the co-founder of QShala, recently shared this personal experience with us. We choked with emotion to see the positive effect of Safety Quest programs. This Stop-Drop-Roll technique has been internalised by Raghav, and it helped him when it mattered!
Read on …

***
I’m Raghav, co-founder of QShala, a curiosity platform that fosters engagement through quizzes and quests. For over five years, we’ve been conducting the Safety Quest quiz in collaboration with the Arundhati Foundation. This quiz is dedicated to promoting safety awareness among school children. Through this initiative, participants learn various aspects of safety, including its scientific principles, effective emergency responses, preventive measures, and innovative safety solutions. Little did I know that one key safety procedure I learned as a quizmaster would end up saving my life.

On February 25th, 2024, we hosted the State Finals of the Ambedkar Memorial Constitution Quiz, organized by the Government of Karnataka, Department of Social Welfare, at the Palace Grounds in Bangalore. Prior to this, school-level, district, and regional rounds had been conducted over the preceding three weeks. The event went smoothly, and after the quiz, I was distributing certificates to various department officials who had supported us in executing the quiz effectively.

As I handed out certificates, I noticed large LED screens and laser beam lights in the background. Suddenly, I felt a wave of heat behind me. When I turned, I was shocked to see that my kurta had caught fire, flames licking at my back. Some officials nearby began shouting, “Fire! Fire! Fire!” Without hesitation, I remembered the crucial lesson from the Safety Quest quiz: “Stop – Drop – Roll.” I immediately halted what I was doing, dropped to the ground, and rolled vigorously until the fire was extinguished. If it weren’t for this life-saving technique ingrained in me through the quiz, the outcome could have been catastrophic had I panicked and fled the stage.

Thankfully, only my kurta was burnt, and I escaped without any significant burns. In conclusion, I urge everyone to exercise caution around laser lights on stages. If you notice excessive heat or any safety concerns, inform the organizers to take appropriate action, such as replacing or turning off the lights. Always remember the three-word mantra to extinguish fires: “Stop – Drop – Roll.” I am deeply indebted to Mrs. Shubhangi Tambwekar and Mr. Sanjay Tambwekar, whose guidance and support have made the Safety Quest quiz possible for many years. Without the knowledge and training I gained from this quiz, I doubt I would have had the presence of mind to respond as I did.

– Raghav Chakravarthy

After our event at the Government Model School Amruthahalli, Mr. Suryanarayana Gowda, Principal of the school, took the initiative and reached out to us. The school has a strength of 900 students, and the school community faced difficulties in crossing two roads next to the school because of fast-moving vehicles and blind spots.
This is the picture of the roads

We joined hands with PotHoleRaja to conduct a comprehensive ground-level assessment. Two main interventions were identified for safety :

PotHoleRaja took the lead and with Mr. Gowda, approached BBMP and the Traffic Police to get the required permissions to go ahead.  PotHoleRaja completed the installation of the HRPC and the painting. The students joined in the installation of the road signs and cat’s eyes.

This is the picture after the installation

These interventions have led to an improvement in road safety around the school. The students, their parents, teachers and staff now cross the road with greater confidence and safety. There have been no reported incidents since the implementation of these safety measures. The engagement has also raised the awareness of road safety amongst the students and staff.

Thank You! 
We appreciate the initiative taken by Mr. Suryanarayana Gowda and his drive to make the roads safe for his students.
Thanks to Surya Bhatt of PotHoleRaja who led the entire effort. He calls it the “Minimum Intervention and Maximum Impact” project.
Our sincere thanks to the Bangalore Traffic Police and BBMP, for recognising the positive impact, and supporting the project.

This collaboration successfully demonstrates the effectiveness of community involvement in making our communities safer and more secure.