ABOUT SAFER SOCIETY PROJECT
Safety is the first step towards living a quality life. Living in a safer society ensures reduced risks of harm and injury due to accidents and crimes. It is our social responsibility to take steps toward developing a society where everyone feels safe and secure. Understanding the need of the hour, SIF takes the initiative in developing the Safer Society Project.
Through it’s ‘Safer Society Project’, SIF works in collaboration with the traffic police and corporate sponsors at traffic junctions for maintenance of traffic awareness and discipline amongst citizens. SIF employs the following methods to do so:
- Raising traffic awareness through social media feeds, through FM radio and
- Training of new drivers as well as experienced drivers for following traffic rules, by explaining them the pros and cons of negligent driving, over speeding, over loading of commercial vehicles, important of seat belts, helmets (for delivery personnel)
- Conducting events related to road safety, viz; no honking, careful overtaking, car free zones,
- Collaborations with NCC (National Cadet Corps) and NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) to promote traffic awareness.
- Collaboration with government to create designated parking spaces for emergency services viz. Ambulances, Disaster Management Trucks, Fire Safety Trucks which are dedicated for each area. So that, in case of any emergency they can be sent to the respective locations with minimal traffic hindrance
Background
As good citizens of the country, it is important for us to be aware of the traffic rules, regulations and follow them with utmost sincerity. There are many types of traffic signs on the streets and highways, which inform the drivers of their parking space and other important areas. They also guide heavy and medium vehicles and enforce overtaking rules. They also inform drivers of hazards ahead of them and other laws and regulations. It is illegal to violate any of these signs. In spite of these regulations and facilities, majority of the world’s fatalities on the roads occur in low-income and middle-income countries, even though these countries have approximately half of the world’s vehicles. India is no exception and data suggests that India has the dubious honour of topping the global list of fatalities from road crashes. Rapid urbanization, motorization, lack of appropriate road engineering, poor awareness levels, non-existent injury prevention programmes, and poor enforcement of traffic laws has exacerbated the situation.
Impact
Through this project we have impacted 5 junctions in Hyderabad in the year 2008 to 2010 and in 2022 we have met Commissioner of Police and submitted the proposal to rework on Junctions.
Future Possibilities
A program like this is important and is the need of the hour for urban traffic management, because it helps to create social awareness regarding traffic rules, and promotes a smooth and quality life in big cities. Commuting time to work place and back, is a big hassle in most big cities of India. People spend almost 2-3 hours on commuting every day. Mounting pressure at workplaces and the ever-increasing traffic woes add to physical as well as psychological stress, resulting in accidents and lifestyle illnesses like anxiety, blood pressure, and aches and pains due to an overused nervous system. Considering this, SIF’s ‘Safer Society Project has the potential to ease the traffic induced stress levels of urban dwellers.
Further, the following efforts can be made for greater outreach of the program:
- Collaborations with vehicle producing and vehicle financing companies for adopting traffic junctions (example – Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Honda, TATA, Mahindra, HDFC Finance, ICICI auto Loans, Bajaj Finance, )
- CSR tie-ups for maintaining traffic cirles, viz. Navratna companies, pharma companies, IT companies, etc.
- Collaborations with insurance companies for conducting road safety events and training, capacity building of drivers.
