Sir,

Recently I happened to go through my old Driving License (DL) booklet [Form-6] issued by RTO in Karnataka which, unlike the current plastic card, carried 17 simple but very important road safety messages both in English and Kannada. The present generation, who are getting their DL in the form of plastic card, is missing all those messages that are more relevant even today and in future too.

For the benefit of the younger generation, all those messages are reproduced here along with my observations in brackets:

Drive safe, be safe; Overtake only from right (even violated by buses); Don’t mix drinking with driving; Never jump red signal, it may cost your life; Road safety is a matter of life and death, safe roads saves lives; Do not run for or out of a running bus (it may cost  your life); Do not ride the children on your lap in front seat (either car or two-wheeler, several such incidents were noticed on city roads); Always keep children on the back seat (however, do not leave them as such, instead secure them with a safety belt).

Always walk on a footpath facing traffic (on the right side of the road); Put additional reflectors on the cycle, bullock carts and two-wheelers; Always have concern for fellow road-user; Always wear helmet while riding two-wheelers (violators are not valuing their own heads and lives); Two-wheelers are meant for two people only (this is being violated by many); Never drive in zig-zag fashion (I have seen people doing this on highways); Lane driving is safe driving (many violating this especially at signals by riding on the wrong side of the dividers)  and follow traffic rules, be safe and let others be safe. Do not carry pet animals on two-wheelers without anyone holding it securely.

Many accidents can be prevented if these basic road safety guidelines are followed by everyone. These rules are to be followed essentially as the number of road accidents and deaths or injuries on Indian roads is increasing year after year.

– Dr. S. V. N. Vijayendra, Traffic Warden, Roopanagar, 18.9.2018

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