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.

This year’s Safety Quest was held online on November 26, 2023.
If you haven’t experienced it, I encourage you to go through the quiz here : Safety Quest 2023 on Kahoot

Each Question and Answer is followed by additional information that we hope will help in developing a healthy respect and positive attitude towards safety and safety science. I am sure it will improve your Safety Quotient!

We had 374 students attending from various places : Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Goa, Udipi, Mangalore, Bangalore, Ernakulam, Coimbatore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Brahmapur, Kolkata, Varanasi, Gurgaon, Delhi. It was quite fantastic to see this pan-India participation, especially from some of the smaller cities! And we also had a few participants from abroad!

We also have a pretty even distribution across grades 5 to 9. This is also heartening because the sooner the children develop a positive attitude towards safety, the better it is!

This time, we incorporated a few statistics into the quiz to sensitise the students. For example, after the question on seatbelts and helmets, these charts were used to emphasise that the use of these devices makes a very big difference.

We also try to make the questions relatable to the children. As an example, rather than teach the children about class F fires and the type of fire extinguisher that is suitable, we had a question on kitchen fires triggered by overheated oil in a frying pan. And we aimed to teach them what they could rely on and could be found right in the kitchen: Salt, Baking Soda, A lid to smother the fire!

Interspersed in the quiz were examples of how young school children have taken initiative or provided inspiring ideas to improve safety.

Winners
All participants were actively engaged in the quiz, and the top 5 were from Bengaluru

• Kalkyn Thapa (Sharanya Narayani International School)
• Sooryanshi Raut (DPS BE)
• Sukrit Sivaprasad (National Public School, Yeshwantpur)
• Trivikram Kesavaram (Sishu Griha)
• Aditya Rajiv Ratnam (National Academy for Learning)

Congratulations to the winners!

Winning Caption

Prior to the Safety Quest, we also ran a small Caption contest on Instagram.

There were several interesting captions, and the winner was Sukrit Shivaprasad who combined wordplay with a strong message on safety.

This is his caption.

 Feedback

This word cloud has inputs from participants capturing what they learnt

And here is specific feedback from participants:
Aditya Rajiv Ratnam: 3rd time I am participating. It is always educational and very inspirational about how tragedy can be transformed to help others. Thank you and thanks to the Arundathi Foundation
Manasvi Rai: It was fun and educational
Rishita Patra: It was really good for us. Thank you
Atharva Tripathi: it was very informative quest thank you for informing us about saftey measures
Sion Fernandes: It was a good session tbh. Along with the quiz, I got some knowledge of some safety things:)
Nida Maryam Aqhila : it was a great way to make us know about the different safety guidelines. Thank you Arundhati foundation and qshala for such a great quiz!
Tanuja Kumari: We really enjoyed and learnt
Thahiya Hanan: Thank you so much it was absolutely lovely
Aadit Sharma: thanks to the team for a great quiz
Afiya: It was a lovely quiz for me
Aditya Thakur: It was a pleasure to join and learn. Really a fantastic session.
Sharv Dhume: Very nice session of Safety Quest. Truly enjoyed it. Learnt many new things.
Aarav Dhume: Loved the Safety Quiz. I learnt a lot from it.
Atharv Faldessai: It was a very nice quiz to learn safety, and it was enjoyable too.

Thank You!
Thanks to all the students whose active participation always makes the difference.

We are extremely grateful for the fantastic support provided by QShala.  Komal did a fabulous job with the overall planning and program management, Akshath and Vrukshi developed and fine tuned the content, Hakim created the graphics, Shilpa and team did a superb outreach, and Quizmaster Raghav who pitched in to compere.

A few screenshots 

Read on to see how Road Safety can be a very interesting way to engage school children in socially impactful activities and simultaneously develop leadership, creativity and soft skills. We believe it will have a lasting impression on our Safety Ambassadors!

Thanks to the initiative of the Mallya Aditi International School, we were invited to devise a 5-day program for 25 students of Std XII, as part of the SUPW curriculum. It was held from September 11 to 15, 2023. This program is unique in that it combines three key dimensions of Safety: Awareness, Advocacy and Action.

The Arundhati Foundation, QShala and PotholeRaja joined hands for this wonderful initiative.

SAFETY AWARENESS
The program began by sensitizing the students to understand the scale of the road safety problem in our country. They learnt about the statistics, the causes of crashes, the science behind safety principles, techniques and innovations. They were also sensitised about the mindset required to approach safety – Since every single life matters, our goal should be Towards Zero Fatalities. Over the 5 days, the children have internalised the various aspects, recognising their significance in road safety.

SAFETY ADVOCACY
These students now took it forward to become advocates of road safety principles through the StreetSmart Showcase. They developed various pathways to get the message across:

Skits :
They mixed fun with learning in developing skits to draw attention to safety when playing near roads, and the dangers of distracted driving, The first part of the skit depicted wrong behaviour that leads to a collision. Then a “replay” to show what could have been differently. This juxtaposition of unsafe and safe behaviour helped drive home the point effectively.

Quiz :

They framed engaging questions on
o the significance of road signs & colours
o the do’s and don’t’s for pedestrians
o safety in the darkness of the night
o the importance of seatbelts
o how thrills can be unsafe
o #1 cause of crashes – overspeeding.
o how airbags are the Supplemental Restraint System, not primary

The Safety Ambassadors made it a point to supplement the answers with additional visuals and information to reinforce the message.

Demos :
They staged experiments to demonstrate the principles behind road safety.

o How the traffic lights are a simple but effective mechanism to streamline traffic flow
o The egg-drop test cracked up the audience 😊. It showed the effectiveness of helmets.
o An experiment using mirrors was staged to demonstrate the blind spots of drivers and how it is important for pedestrians to understand this
o An experiment using Newton’s first law of motion demonstrated the reason why seat belts are important. Seeing the toy driver eject out of the seat even at slow speed is impactful.
o The principle of conservation of momentum and energy was used to demonstrate the relationship between speed and the degree of impact, and to show how keeping distance between cars helps alleviate the impact.
o A simple but effective exercise was devised to bust the myth of multitasking and demonstrate the risk related to distracted driving. This was further extended by a game that involved the entire audience. It’s interesting to see how people start off thinking they it will be easy, and soon realise it is much more difficult than they imagined – even when there are no hands involved!

Each exercise was devised to engage the audience. And in the wrap-up, the audience was asked for takeaways to reinforce the message.
The team staged the StreetSmart Showcase with three different groups of children. First, for the children of Std VIII from their own school. Then at the Kenny School, and finally at the Govt Model School Amruthahalli. In all, they covered over 170 students and their teachers.

At the Govt Model School, Amruthahalli, the Safety Ambassadors found that the students were not proficient in English. The team improvised on the spot, and a few of them who were better at Kannada along with Anagha from QShala ensured that the message reached the audience without missing anything.

Both, the students and the teachers were appreciative of the StreetSmart Showcase. They liked the different engaging and interactive methods to learn about road safety. The teachers also commented that this is very apt for the students.

SAFETY ACTION
On the ground action makes a big difference when people realise the scale of the problem, and the challenges of implementation. Donning safety jackets and gloves, the Safety Ambassadors got into action and implemented road improvements to make the school zones safer for the Kenny School and the Govt Model School, Amruthahalli.

• Installation of Road Signs:
The School Ahead, Speed bump ahead, Go Slow, T Junction were installed as required in those locations. Students riveted the signboards to the frames, dug the holes, mixed up the cement and poured it to secure the signposts, checking they were set right using the spirit level.

• Fixing Potholes:
They cleared up the potholes of debris and mud, filled it with gravel, then with the cold mix (bitumen), and did the tamping to compress the filling. Seeing their work, the residents of the area and other road users requested some additional potholes to be fixed, and the children gladly obliged!

• Installation of Cat’s Eyes:
They set up the cat’s eyes to make the speed breakers visible to the vehicles during day and night. They marked the locations on the street, placed the cat’s eyes after applying adhesive, and then drove the stud in the centre to fix it to the road.

The children erected 8 road signs, repaired 10 potholes, and affixed 150 cat’s eyes.
In these exercises, the children from Kenny School and Govt Model School, Amruthahalli, also joined in with great enthusiasm.

FUNDRAISE : MAKE THEIR LIVES SAFE & SOUND

The students took a step further to run a campaign and raised funds that will help children with severe hearing loss. It is the world that many children in India are born into, a world that isolates them. It is not easy for them to venture out because when the voices and sounds cannot be discerned, it becomes a safety hazard. It thus hampers their cognitive, social, emotional growth and affects their well-being.
The Safety Ambassadors raised Rs 87,001 to provide these children with the gift of sound! We will provide an update on the utilization of these funds for the Dhwani initiative of The Arundhati Foundation.

FEEDBACK FROM THE PARTICIPANTS
The Safety Ambassadors showed great heart all through this event. They shared their own takeway, what they liked and their suggestions to improve the program. Some of the comments come from their own personal journey, making them so much more meaningful.
What were the Takeaways?
• Road safety and rules are a topic which isn’t stressed enough in schools. It should be instilled in kids from a very young age
• Social Service is hard, but it made me happy
• Do not multitask while driving
• As I am about to turn 18 in a couple of months, I have understood the importance of road safety
• I learnt a lot about blind spots. Since I have to cross a main road that has a lot of school buses, I find this new knowledge very useful
• A change in attitude is required to make our roads safer.
• Use interesting + interactive means and activities to introduce topics and reinforce the message
• In the process of doing the quiz, I learnt a lot about road safety which I did not know before

What did they Like?
• Cooperation amongst all my friends, and also the govt school children
• I liked the teamwork. Public speaking and communication skills were improved
• After fixing potholes, I felt that our work could make someone’s journey a bit more comfortable
• I felt we helped the community by actually doing the work on the roads – fixing potholes, signposts, cat’s eyes
• I liked how we included the children of the govt school into our Showcase, and made sure that they were part of every activity
• I liked that we did both – fixed the roads, and educated the younger children on road safety
• I liked how well planned the itinerary was – each activity was creative and effective
• A very different experience with the activities on the road and the Showcase and a different takeaway about road safety
• I was able to improve my Kannada. I have never spoken to a large audience in Kannada before.

Any Suggestions?
• We could have a campaign entirely to fill potholes on each day in various localities
• We could have done more road work in different areas
• Spend more time with the govt school kids – jointly work with them for the Showcase
• A Kannada version of the showcase will connect better with the audience
• We could have replaced the quiz with skits – the English was tough for one of the schools

THANK YOU!

Thanks to Mallya Aditi International School and Mrs. Priti Rao for taking the initiative, and refining the structure and flow of the program. She was also instrumental in setting up the connections with the two schools which made this program so much more effective. Thanks to all the teachers of Mallya Aditi International School who helped to oversee the students.

Our sincere thanks to Mr. Surya Narayan, Principal, and Mr Prasanna of the Govt Model School, Amruthahalli and also Mr Sujit of Kenny School for the whole hearted participation. Their students made a huge difference with their enthusiasm.

As always, our partners QShala and the team of Anagha, Shilpa and Durga were superb in coaching the students to effectively convey the message along with the quizzes and skits and experiments; and how to link it all together. They know how to work with children. Plus, their preparations helped in smoothing the logistics at the time of the event in the two schools.
Surya from PotholeRaja was simply superb. He handled everything for the road improvements : from doing the recce, getting the materials and fabrication in place, getting the permissions, guiding and supervising the students. He ensured the success of the Safety Action.

Thanks also to Vaibhav Mandania of Ketto who helped set up the fundraise via Ketto. He was patient with the many changes we requested to get to the final version. The platform also made it easy for all the participants.

It will be amiss if we do not acknowledge the guidance from Kiran George of U&I whose suggestions helped us in creating the campaign and follow through.

And a big thank you to the students – our Safety Ambassadors – who carried this through so well. We wish them all the best for their future, and urge them to always have a positive mindset about safety, leading to positive attitude, positive behaviour and positive action so they handle difficult situations with courage and calmness.

The program reinforces our belief that adding safety in the school curriculum will go a long way. And we hope that other schools follow the lead of MAIS.

PICTURES
Here are some pics from the events

by Shubhangi Tambwekar

My grandfather told me the story of the Legend of Banastari when I was a child. The legend goes that Lord Parshuram reclaimed the Konkan region which Goa is a part of , by hurling an arrow (Baan) into the Arabian Sea. The arrow (Baan) landed at a place in Goa which is named BANASTARI.
For ages this place is known for this legend. Till the Sixth of August 2023.
That day, this place took on a whole new name…the place of ‘THE ACCIDENT’ that shook Goa.
I have been thinking about putting my thoughts on paper (virtually) since .
That day, my husband I had returned after visiting a care centre at Ponda. I remember getting onto the bridge and remarking to my husband that the road surface of the bridge was in need of immediate repairs. This was at 2 pm.

It was the next day that the news about the “accident” and loss of three lives and critical injury to three more people came buzzing from various sources. Every Goenkar by now knows the highs and lows of this high profile case involving the members of a well known family from Goa.

There was a total silence from most of my friends and family from Goa on the social media. Very unlike what happened some months back on Zuari bridge. But privately, the Whatsapp groups and individuals were abuzz with news. A few close friends thought that we (my husband and I) should ‘do something’ about it because, after all we run a foundation where Road Safety is a focus. They were not sure of what that ‘something’ meant.
One thing everyone was voicing privately was that the person involved in the incident should be punished but, given the family status and political connections, they would get away with this horrendous crime. But none voiced their fears or opinions aloud except a few villagers belonging to the village of the couple who met their end here.

Please note, that I have used the word “accident” in quotes.
My thought about this word “ accident” has always been this : When we use the word “accident” to describe such incidents it takes away from the seriousness of this life altering incident in the lives of the victims and their families. It implies something which just happened because of nobody’s fault and hence nobody to be blamed. No intent to harm anyone. Thus absolving individuals from moral, emotional and legal responsibility.
Hence people make casual remarks such as “ It was ONLY an accident” “ Accidents happen” …as I have heard the accused lady is alleged to have said to the crowd gathered around. I don’t know how much of this is the truth.
Try telling that to the people who have lost their child, parent, sibling to such horrific deaths..it is so insensitive and inhuman to make little of such a grave happening. And there is nobody better to understand how devastating, life altering, isolating and emotionally destroying this can be. We, my husband and I lost a perfectly healthy , promising , wonderful daughter to one such incident nearly nine years back. She came under the wheels of a truck. Mind you, she was a pillion rider and wearing a helmet. More about that later.

Hence
Point one: Let us stop using the word ‘ accident’ for such incidents.
Most of them are NOT. They occur because of the decisions made by the drivers. One can see statistics available in public domain to clearly see this. Over-speeding, jumping signals, driving under influence and distracted driving together account for over 95 percent of these incidents.
Who makes the decision to over speed ? The driver!
Who makes the decision to jump signal ? The driver!
Who makes a decision to drink and drive? The driver!
Who makes decision to talk on the phone while driving ? The driver!
Why do we then call such incidents as “accident?”
They are committed willfully as nobody is ignorant of these simple and basic rules of driving.
We conduct regular sessions on safety for primary school children and even a child less than 8 years is very much aware of all these rules. They have been incorporated in school curriculum.
So why shouldn’t an adult not heed to these rules?
The reason is simple…they just don’t care. It’s their attitude and disrespect for fellow humans.
They have no fear for the law. As our laws are like an eighty year old with no dentures . We have a failed system where if booked for an incident such as this, they know that the case, IF admitted in court will lay languishing in court for years together .

Point 2 : Can we strictly enforce laws through swift investigation and fair justice?
Why oh why do we NOT do a breath test for every accident (especially in a place like Goa) ? Do any of my readers out there know if there is an SOP for all police personnel on how to conduct an investigation when such an incident happens? Obviously, we have failed miserably here.
Somewhere while doing research for this write up , I came across a statement that the Goa Police has only 29 functional breath analysers. Is the number used optimally and effectively? Is it too small to cover the main spots of Goa? An article available in public domain ( THE GOAN NETWOK dated 24/2/2023) tell us a sad story. That 50% of the available analysers are non functional and a proposal to procure breathe analysers was rejected due to unknown reasons.
It’s almost nine years since we lost our dearest daughter in an “accident” and despite filing multiple RTI , we have NO CLOSURE on how the accident occurred. Ridiculously they have written that since she came under the wheels of a huge truck, that the truck driver had to be punished…well , because he drove the larger vehicle. Just like that.
We hear that the truck driver was arrested and jailed for a week.
The truck was seized . But both the driver and the truck was released.
Despite of being parents and filing RTI, we do NOT know what happened to the case. Lawyers from Vellore kept calling me telling me that I was entitled to a compensation of 19 Lakhs..This would be held by the court they said and given to us.
I have no news about this compensation and it has been almost nine years. We haven’t seen a paisa of it. We refuse to believe that one can put a price on the life of my child’s life.
Let me admit, we haven’t pursued the case either…It is horribly horribly painful for us.

And that, is precisely my point.
The victims of such accidents are in no frame of mind to pursue cases, run after police, put in claims etc etc after the devastation that they face. The onus of a fair, quick and scientific investigation followed by fair dispensation of justice should be the responsibility of the police and judiciary. Imagine ! people have to come on our roads to demand something that is the basic right of every citizen of our country.
Right to live and right to justice.

Insurance policies include a clause to say that if the person or any parties involved in the accident are DRUNK then insurance doesn’t cover them. Insurance claims are also rejected for negligence – eg. if the driver crashed while talking or texting on the phone or overspeeding. In short, if any of the rules of driving have not been followed. The insurance policy does not call out different types of negligence. The cost of policy renewal also goes up when such negligence is established.
The truth is that, in our country lives of the common people are cheap and those with money or muscle power can easily buy even lives. Otherwise, how does a famous personality get away with mowing people sleeping on a footpath ?

Here again we can see how the investigating officer is needed to do a fair and honest investigation without ( political or personal) interference. Do you think it is possible ?
Can the judiciary give a quick and fair decision? Do you think this is possible ?
Let’s hope it is..hum honge Kamyaab….Ek din! ( Whenever that morning dawns on us ! )

Point 3 : Let’s stop blaming tourists and ‘bhayale lok’ for such instances.
The Banastari crash was not due to a tourist.
In October, the car my husband was driving was rammed from behind when it was stationary at the Zuari bridge.We had stopped because of the very common traffic jam that occurs when suddenly the four lanes are squeezed into two lanes at the start of the bridge. The gentleman was a cent percent Goenkar who was looking for his cell phone while his car was in motion not bothering to slow or see the line of cars ahead of him.
He said to us very calmly afterwards“ It is only an accident no? Accidents happen “ So so casual.
As though it was the most natural thing in the world!
At which point I saw my dead daughter lying on the gurney and lost my shit ( don’t mind using the most common term in the current vocabulary ) and screamed at him telling him all about it and crying uncontrollably.
He did foot the bill for repairs of the car. But that is besides the point.
I would like to mention here that the seat belt both of us were wearing protected us because there was definitely a horrible jolt and the rear end of the car was damaged.

This is not to absolve tourists of any wrongdoing. But the enforcements of rules is strict and swift it will apply equally for both tourist and local people.

Point 4 : And hence, dear friends, Let’s look within ourselves.
And do which each one of us can do for sure.
FOLLOW ALL THE RULES…
Yes, on our potholed roads…on our non existent roads.
On roads where buffaloes roam
On roads where there is a bar at every kilometer
On dark roads.
On endless stretches of dug up roads
On arterial roads and highways
On every road..
Let us..please do this.
Let us question ourselves.
How much of self governing we /you do ?
Do you wear a helmet ? Even if it is hot ?
Do you wear seatbelt’s?
How many of you have put seat covers on your back seats and your seat belts are covered AND you have now found one more reason NOT to wear seat belts in your back seats?
I know many of my own friends and relatives don’t wear seat belts…or helmets.
They all love my daughter they say..
She did wear a helmet didn’t she? They say..yet she died..That is supposed to absolve them of the negligence of not wearing one!

I am no one to tell you NOT to drink. It’s your bottle and your liver.
But it could be somebody else’s life.
Please DO NOT DRIVE AFTER YOU DRINK.
Since getting an Uber or Ola is impossible in Goa, ONE family member should stay sober at a party and he/ she should drive. Or have a designated sober driver.

A final word
So here it is …finally something I have been mulling since 6 August.
Talking about these things brings the raw tormenting unresolving pain we feel every single day.
A victim’s point of view. A mother’s point of view. A citizens point of view.
I sincerely hope that there is justice done in not just this case, but every case of a CRASH due to incidents of commission or incidents of omission.
I know I am certainly still waiting for justice for my daughter…after 8 years of her so called ‘ACCIDENT’

References :
Picture and news credit : http://epaper.heraldgoa.in/viewpage.php?edition=oHeraldo&edid=OHERALDO_GOA&date=2023-08-07&pn=1
Alcometers : https://www.thegoan.net/goa-news/govt-rejected-proposal-to-procure-more-alcometers/95660.html

India has seen a huge improvement in road infrastructure in the past few years. World class expressways have been built with other development planned alongside to help road users. Two such examples are the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway (picture above) that has a max speed limit of 120 kmph, and the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway that has a max speed limit of 100 kmph.

These corridors have drastically cut down the time taken to travel between the cities as the vehicles zip through at high speed. But along with it, comes a dismal track record of road safety. In the 6 months of this year, 512 accidents were reported on the Bengaluru Expressway, with 123 fatalities. In the same period, the Samrudhhi Expressway has witnessed 616 accidents with 88 fatalities. The pictures below show the severity of crashes seen on these highways.

Highway hypnosis has been projected to be one of the possible reasons for this. This is when the driver gets into a trance-like state because of the monotony of the drive, possibly combined with .There is not enough data or analysis to conclude this.

Action is required on multiple fronts:

Some of these actions will take time to implement, and even longer time to show results. I have a couple of suggestions that can make a difference in the short term.

Scaling up the Zero Fatality Corridor Initiative

https://savelifefoundation.org/zero-fatality-corridor/
This initiative, since 2016, between SaveLife Foundation, with the Maharashtra state highway police, Maharashtra state highway authorities and Mahindra & Mahindra has worked to make the Mumbai-Pune expressway a ‘Zero fatality corridor’.

Quoting from the website “Multiple 360° interventions across the 4 E’s of RoadSafety- Engineering, Enforcement, Emergency Care & Engagement taken over the last few years, have helped reduce the fatality on the expressway to a certain extent. Over 2016-’20 this joint initiative has been able to demonstrate a 52% decline in road crash deaths from 151 in 2016 to 66 in 2020 (The impact percentage has been corrected downwards to account for Covid 19 lockdown). The severity of crashes, defined as the number of deaths per 100 crashes, has also come down from 53.5 per cent to 24.8 percent in these three years. This has happened, even as traffic volumes on the expressway have risen continuously from 3.6 million vehicles in 2016 to 4.2 million vehicles in 2019.”

It is imperative that we take the lessons from the ZFC initiative, scale them up, and implement them on the new highways on war footing. As new highways are being built the ZFC recommendations should be implemented before the highways are inaugurated. Even better, these safety recommendations should be incorporated into the design of the road and the related operations. The Ministry of Road Transport and the respective highway authorities should take the lead with these proactive steps to boost the safety on these high speed corridors and not wait for the crashes to mount before taking action. Just like Mahindra and Mahindra came forward for the ZFC initiative, other corporates along expressways can be roped in to make a meaningful difference with their CSR contributions.

Control Speed to Control Crashes

What is the foremost reason for the nature and severity of the crashes on the expressways? Not surprisingly, it is the speed!
Are our drivers trained and familiar with driving at speeds of 100 kmph and 120 kmph? Definitely not!
Do we regularly check our vehicles and maintain them in great condition to handle the high speeds? Many of us may not even be aware of what is required.

At high speed, it is more difficult to control the vehicle, chances of skidding or tyre burst increase, and speed amplifies every single error. In the event of a crash, the kinetic energy acquired by the vehicle is dissipated in the form of heat and sound, and that is what causes all the damage to vehicles, to other objects, and to people. The kinetic energy acquired by a car travelling at 100 kmph is equivalent to the car falling off a 13 storey building. At 120 kmph, it is equivalent to the car falling off a 19 storey building! And the bigger the car, greater the energy, greater the damage on impact.

So one of the best way to control crashes and the impact due to crashes is to control the speed. I know I am voicing an unpopular opinion, but I will say : We do not need such high speeds on our expressways at this point. Note that the max speed limit on the Mumbai-Pune expressway was 80 kmph! It was recently moved up to 100 kmph, but that is not required. Having a steady drive at 80 kmph is itself a big improvement over the previous speeds.

So let us keep the max speed limit at 80 kmph.

Further, since the visibility at night is worse, and judgement can be hampered, it is advisable to have a lower speed limit between sundown to sunrise. Some countries have implemented such measures with good success.

With the help of radars, the driver can receive feedback in real time to reduce speed. By using electronic speed limit signs that are strategically placed, the limit could be controlled even in other situations – like bad weather, road maintenance, some obstructions ahead, etc.

Let us implement safe systems, and improve the track record on safety before we increase speed limits on our expressways. Our first priority should be to ensure that the people are able to reach their destination safely, and that they continue to drive, they continue to enjoy their drive.

I would also like to reference The Hindu In Focus podcast featuring Ranjit Gadgil who covers various aspects of road safety on highways, and also stresses the need to control speed limits.

References
Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway RTA report
Samruddhi Expressway RTA report
Accident Pic 1 
Accident Pic 2