SAFE KIDS FOUNDATION PROMOTES ROAD SAFETY IN PUNE
Pune, May 06, 2017 : With an aim to create awareness about the dangers of speeding, Safe Kids Cycle Carnival was organized to support the UN Global Road Safety Week (8th – 14th May 2017), which seeks to increase understanding of the dangers of speed as a factor for road traffic deaths and injuries, and encourages drivers to slow down. Safe Kids Foundation is promoting Global Road Safety Week’s Save Lives #SlowDown campaign to increase understanding of the dangers of speed – with a special focus on how it impacts the safety of children.
As Rupa Kothari, Managing Trustee, Safe Kids Foundation flagged off the rally, over 300 cycling enthusiasts pedaled away to spread the message of road safety in Pune. The rally was a part of Safe Kids Cycle Carnival organized by the Safe Kids Foundation in association with Pune Traffic Police and Pune Gramin Police.
Children, youth and road safety advocates like Mr. Jugal Rathi, and Mr. Pravin Jhele participated in the Safe Kids Cycle Carnival.
Rupa Kothari, Managing Trustee, Safe Kids Foundation said, ‘‘Road safety is a serious issue that is likely to grow significantly in the immediate future, if we don’t act now”. Pune has seen exponential growth in the last few years and so have road safety concerns related to the use of two wheelers and over speeding. Safe Kids Foundation believes that educating the citizens around focused areas like managing speed, use of helmets and seatbelts will help reduce the prevalence of road accidents. Encouraged with the overwhelming response to the Safe Kids Cycle Carnival, we will continue to engage the citizens to observe road safety measures.”
Expressing his views on the occasion, Mr. Krishna Prakash, Special Inspector General of Police, Mumbai said, “I feel wonderful to be a part of Safe Kids Cycle Carnival organized by Safe Kids Foundation to create awareness among general public and especially among the youth about Speed Management which is theme of Global Road Safety Week 2017.
The accidental deaths and accidental injuries are the largest contributions so far as intentional injuries and natural deaths are concerned. Maximum number of victims of the road accidents were riders of two wheelers. The main reasons of these accidents are over speeding, dangerous and careless driving, careless overtaking and poor weather conditions. Most of these intentional injuries are avoidable. This requires conceptional change and institutionalization of road safety codes. Hence to create awareness among the riders particular youth groups and children is the need of the hour.
I further laud your efforts to take along all the stake holders like traffic police, RTO’s and NGO’s in your endeavor towards mitigating road accidents and intentional injuries.”
WHY ROAD SAFETY IS IMPORTANT!
- Approximately 1.25 million people die in road traffic crashes every year.
- 500 children die every day on the world’s roads – one every three minutes.
- Road traffic injuries are estimated to be the ninth-leading cause of death across all age groups globally, and are predicted to become the seventh-leading cause by 2030. (Source: WHO, Global Status Report on Road Safety 2015)
- Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people ages 15-29 years old.
- Accidental and Suicidal Deaths Report 2015 of National Crime Record Bureau of Ministry of External Affairs, India shows 53 cases of road accidents took place every one hour during 2015, wherein 17 persons were killed.
- A total of 4,64,674 cases of ‘Road Accidents’ were reported which rendered 4,82,389 persons injured and 1,48,707 deaths.
