“Road Safety is Not Just a Slogan. It is a Way of Life.

”
In ancient times, there were no resources for traveling. Later, man invented the wheel for
increasing the speed of human life. Rather than walking they used bullock carts, horse carts for
traveling which decreased the efforts of man and increased the speed to reach any place. Next
invention was the engine which reduced time to travel extremely. The combination of engine and
wheels resulted in a vehicle. Vehicles play a major role in our lives. They reduce the time needed
for many works such as traveling and transportation of goods etc. Mainly vehicles are used for
traveling.
There are several types of vehicles like bikes, cars, buses etc. Today there are many ways of
transportation by road, by air, by water, by rail etc. but mainly we choose to travel by road in our
day to day life. Road traveling is easy and convenient for us but as every coin has two sides,
there are many drawbacks of road traveling. Today Road Safety has become a necessity in India.
The major disadvantage of roads are the accidents, which can hurt or cause the death of a person.
Students travel to school by either walking, or school bus, or any other medium of transportation.
All these ways require the understanding of road safety for students for being safe while
traveling. Hence schools and colleges always emphasis on the road safety measures and try to
raise awareness about the road safety to the students. They are even asked to write essay,
paragraph or deliver a speech on the topic of the importance of road safety.
In this article, we have given you all the necessary information regarding the road safety in India,
its challenges, remedial actions, and how its an individual as well as a social responsibility to
follow traffic rules and road safety measure to ensure the safety of themselves as well as other.
This information will help you to write an essay, speech or a paragraph or topic like, “road safety
is my responsibility”, “road safety is not just a slogan , it is a way of life”, “road safety,
challenges, and remedial action”, “road safety-time for action”, “road safety is a mission, not an
intermission”, “importance of road safety for youth, students, bikers and pedestrians” etc. So
let’s start.
Road Safety, Importance, Challenges, Remedial Actions, Measures, Rules Essay, Speech,
Paragraph
Have you ever thought of why and how do accidents happen? There are many reasons behind
these daily accidents. The statistics of accidents in India is increasing. In 2013, over 1,37,000
people were killed due to road accidents in India. In 2014, there were 489,400 accidents which
were more than 2013. 146,133 people were killed in road accidents in India in 2015. As this ratio
is increasing rapidly, it is surveyed that there is one death every four minutes due to road
accidents in our country. 16 children die on Indian roads daily. This is the statistic surveyed in
previous years.
Now the question arises, why do this ratio of accidents is increasing so rapidly? There are many
reasons behind these accidents. The age group of people who die in road accidents is 15-35.
Most people in our country do not follow traffic rules. They are careless about other’s lives and
even about their own life. They do not use safety measures like a helmet, seat belts for their own
safety. Youngsters, youth are mostly seen to be over-speeding the vehicles. But somewhere they
are forgetting that these are the main reasons that cause accidents.
Causes, Reasons behind Road Accidents in India | Road Safety Challenges
Poor Road Infrastructure
Accidents happen because of our mistakes but there are many others reasons too. Many times the
road infrastructure is not maintained properly in our country, this is another main reason for
causing accidents. Many times people try to dodge the puddles on road, these puddles get filled
with water when it rains and drivers fail to predict the depth of them which causes an accident.
Missing road signs such speed breakers, narrow roads, school ahead etc. can also cause
accidents. No warning signs and safety barricades at the accident-prone areas can also result in
accidents. This happens many times in India, and because of poor infrastructure of roads, people
lose their lives.
Ease of Getting a Driving License
It is very easy to get a driving license in our country, which approves people who are not
properly trained for driving. A person gets the confidence to drive a vehicle after getting a
license but if he/she is not well trained then it will cause danger for them and maybe for others
too. Nowadays government is taking steps to improve the process of getting a driving license.
Now the candidate has to first pass a written exam about road signs and safety measures, traffic
rules to get a learning license. It also requires that you are trained in a driving school. The
permanent driving license process is also made strict. Now the person has to pass various driving
tests to prove his/her driving skills and get a permanent driving license.
Looks and Mileage over Safety
While buying a car, people in India focus more on fuel efficiency and performance instead of
safety. In other countries, it is mandatory to provide airbags in every car when you are
manufacturing it but in India, a person needs to pay more money to get airbags safety facility in
the car. We can’t blame only manufacturers in this case because if customers are not interested in
safety then why manufacturers would be? They are more focused on earning profits.
Growing Population
The rapidly growing population of India is causing many problems to the people. The rising
population results in the lower supply of resources. The number of vehicles on the road is
increasing rapidly. There is no space to travel in public transports. Roads are being overcrowded
with people and vehicles. This is a very big problem which challenging the road safety.
Lack of Road Safety Education of Safety Measures, Rules, and Awareness
Sadly there is no much road safety awareness and education amongst the drivers as well as
pedestrians in India. The road safety does not concern many people. They do not follow the
traffic rules and are usually found violating the traffic rules. Children and youth are not given
necessary road safety education by the parents as parents themselves are not aware of the
importance of road safety.
Corruption
Corruption in India is also one of the major challenges which are hindering the goals of
developing a road safety culture. People violate the traffic rules and bribe the traffic police to get
away from the legal action. Sometimes the corrupt traffic police officers also demand bribes to
make things go away and the person is most likely to bribe them. To reduce the corruption
government has issued electronic payments systems to pay the fine and a receipt for your fine
payment is generated then and there hence eliminating the physical handling of money and the
money goes where it supposed to be.
Remedial Actions for Road Safety in India | Solutions for Road Accidents
Road safety is the responsibility of everyone such as pedestrians, drivers, biker, and government.
If everyone follows the road safety measures and also the government does its work properly
then it will reduce the number of accidents happening on the roads. Following are some remedial
actions, solutions for road safety by which we can improve the road safety and reduce the
number of accidents on roads.
Road Safety is My Social Responsibility
If you drive a vehicle on road or using the roads for transportation, then you are bound to follow
the road safety measures to ensure yours as well as others safety. People should be more
conscious about all these causes and take care of not creating any problem for themselves and
others too. People should follow the traffic rules and drive responsibly as well. A person should
avoid drunk driving which puts his/her and other people’s lives in danger.
A person should not exceed the speed limit. Avoid overtaking at accident-prone places like blind
turns and road bends. Following the driving lanes, not overtaking in the wrong places, give
preference to ambulances on road. A person should not exceed the speed limit which will help to
avoid accidents and traffic jams. Following the traffic signals will help to avoid traffic jams and
accidents as well. We should also follow the speed limit and not overspeeding on the roads. A
person should learn proper driving before acquiring the driving license. People should also
prioritize safety while buying vehicles. Wearing seat belts while driving, using helmets are the
ways we can ensure our own safety and fulfill our responsibility for road safety.
Strict Rules by the Government
For avoiding accidents, the government should regulate more strict rules so that only a person
who is properly trained will get the driving license. There should be strict punishments for those
who don’t follow traffic rules. Traffic rules are for our safety but people don’t follow them and
get in troubles. Hence we have to do our bit to help to improve the situation. Because the
government can make many rules but if the people don’t follow them, it’s useless.
The government should regulate rules for vehicle manufacturers also. It should be mandatory to
provide airbags with every car without any extra money. Customers should also check for safety
features first and then fuel efficiency and performance etc. In coming days the government is
going to regulate rules for car manufacturers. It will be mandatory to provide airbags with every
car. There would be alarm beeps if car exceeds the speed of 80kmph and continuous alarm tone
if it exceeds the speed of 100kmph. These rules will help in avoiding accidents.
Road Safety Education | Creating Awareness about Road Safety in Public
Educating people about the importance of road safety will help to make better drivers, bikers,
pedestrians who respect and obey the traffic rules and safety measure and put own and other’s
lives in danger. Youth and youngsters usually found overspeeding their cars, bikes while rash
driving. They also race on the public roads, making it dangerous for them as well as people
around them. It is very necessary to educate the youngsters about road safety and safety rules and
measure so they would drive responsibly. Schools and colleges can also organize programmes to
create awareness about road safety. Parents should educate their children and encourage them to
obey the traffic rules.
Better Road Infrastructure by Government
The poor quality of the road is one the major reasons behind the rising road accidents in India.
The potholes on the road cause sudden braking of the vehicles hence resulting in accidents.
Poorly designed junctions, intersections can also cause a large number of accidents. Missing road
signs of speed breakers, narrow roads, accident-prone areas can also result in accidents. Hence
the government should improve the quality of road infrastructure to reduce the number of
accidents and ensure the road safety.
Technology Usage for Better Road Safety
Today, the technology has become an integral part of our day to day life. The technology can be
used to improve the road safety too. Using technologies like GPS, drivers assist, cruise control,
driverless cars, parking assistance can help to improve the driving experience and in turn
reduce the road accidents.
Now turning towards the last portion, This segment of drivers can benefit by being told about the
following road-safety tips:
basic awareness about the vehicle in use.
Defensive driving in different weather and road conditions.
Proper use of lights and horn. (iv) Road sense.
Right of way.
Advantages of wearing a seat belt.
Proper use of mirrors.
Dangers of over-speeding
Maintaining a safe distance while driving.
We should always walk on the pavements.
Do not jump or run on the roads.
We should follow the traffic signals. If we are driving, we should stop if the signal is red.
We can drive across only if the signal is green.
We should cross the road at the zebra crossing only.
While crossing the road, we look at our left and right to make sure that there are no
moving vehicles in our way.
Children should always be accompanied by adults.
We should be alert not talk over phone while walking on the road.
We should walk carefully and not push anyone on the road.
We should mind our own business and should not get distracted by the road banners and
advertisements.
While on a moving vehicle, we should always use seat-belts.
 While riding on a two-wheeler, we should wear a helmet for our protection.
We should not talk loudly inside a moving vehicle. This may disturb the driver.
We should not play or jump inside the moving vehicle.
We should sit in our seat.
While getting in a bus, we should form a queue and wait for our chance.
We should not move our head out of the moving vehicle’s window.
Thus, we have understood the concept of road safety. Further, we have also learnt about the road
safety rules that we should follow in everyday life.

Conclusion
“Road safety is a mission, not an intermission.”
For having a safe and happy life, people in India should be familiar with all the things that will
help to avoid accidents. The government, manufacturers of vehicles, and the consumers should
take care of all the rules and regulations. This will help in avoiding accidents and saving lives
today and tomorrow.