Article on Road Safety

Do you drive? Are you a travel enthusiast or a person who has an unending love for travel? This article on road safety will help you understand the importance of following road rules and the consequences you would have to face if you do not follow them.

Table of Contents

• Looking for a Reason or a Purpose to Follow Safety Rules?
• Some Things You Should Know if You Love to Travel
• Negligence of Traffic Rules – Consequences
• Frequently Asked Questions on Road Safety

Looking for a Reason or a Purpose to Follow Safety Rules?

Reading makes a man perfect, writing makes a man refined, and travelling makes a man complete. Travelling makes one’s life a lot more happier and colourful. Travelling lets you explore new places, people, cultures, and food, for it is only when you cross boundaries, you will know the true feeling of being a human.

Road transport is one of the most used forms of transportation. Roads are always the most happening places in every part of the world. With the steady increase in the number of private vehicles and at least one car and two motorcycles owned by an average Indian middle-class family, road traffic and air pollution are two unavoidable hassles of today.

From going to offices, grocery shops, supermarkets, hospitals and so on, our dependence on transportation has become inevitable. It has for sure reduced the time of travel but has increased the rate of accidents. In a year, approximately 1.2 million people die in fatal road accidents, and 2.5 million people have ended up with minor and major injuries around the world. Around eighty thousand people are said to be victims of road crashes in India, which is thirteen percent of the total fatality of the world.

Following road safety rules and regulations is the only way to reduce the number of casualties. In order to do this, it is necessary to promote safe behaviour and create awareness on road safety for the sake of the greater good of all human beings.

Some Things You Should Know if You Love to Travel

Ever seen a road signal with an inverted triangle and wondered what it meant? Ever felt confused about what hand signal it was that the one who drove the vehicle in front of you was trying to indicate? Well, these are the kind of situations you should never come across when you are on the road. Here are a few points that you should try to check off your list before you start your journey.

• Keep yourself well-informed about the traffic regulations of the state or country you are travelling to.
• Have contacts of police helplines for emergencies.
• Keep your vehicle serviced and ready along with backup.
• Carry a map so that you know where exactly to go, and to avoid any sort of confusion on your way.
• Make sure you carry a first aid kit with you whenever you travel, no matter how long or short your travel would be.

Now, when you are driving, the following are a few things that you should take utmost care of.

• When you wear helmets, do not forget to fasten the straps.
• Use of seat belts by drivers and co-passengers.
• Do not listen to music too loudly to the extent that you cannot hear horns or lose your concentration.
• Be conscious of the road conditions. Go slowly and carefully.
• Use the child lock if you have children travelling with you.
• Maintain speed limits according to the speed indicators placed on either side of the highways.
• Driving too slow when there are vehicles behind you will also cause confusion on the road.
• Right use of indicators when you want to change lanes on National and State Highways and in turns.
• Do not overtake on blind curves.
• Do not use high beam lights that would blind the travellers coming on the opposite side.
• Slow down whenever you are at crossroads.
• Be mindful of your fellow road travellers. Stop throwing waste of any kind that would cause unexpected accidents.
• Use hand signals to indicate your road movements.
• Do not drink and drive.
• Do not use blaring horns.
• Follow the road signs. Drive safely in the accident-prone zones.
• In case you feel sleepy, do not continue driving. Take good rest and then continue your journey. No time lost is more important than your life.
• If you are walking to work or wherever you have to go, use the pedestrian crossing to cross roads and the sidewalks/pavements to walk.

There are a few other things that the authorities have to work on to ensure road safety.

• Placing the right road signs wherever necessary.
• Laying proper roads.
• Cleaning the roads and roadsides regularly.
• Maintaining strict rules regarding the deposit of debris on the side of roads which are often one of the main reasons for unexpected accidents.
• Instructing hospital authorities to treat accident casualties instead of giving more importance to formalities.

Always be prepared to face any emergency situation when travelling.

• Carry a first aid kit.
• Keep emergency contacts on speed dial.
• Be ready to help in case you find someone injured.

Negligence of Traffic Rules – Consequences

Roads are not the place for you to showcase your stunts or experiment with drifting techniques, no matter how empty the roads are. Penalties for traffic rule violations are updated on a regular basis to keep the number of road accidents in check. The main goal of all these is to regulate the flow of vehicles and promote safe travel conditions for all.

Some examples of penalties for traffic violations are a fine of two thousand rupees and imprisonment of up to 3 months if you are found driving without valid insurance for your motor vehicle. Use of vehicles without a license can be charged with a fine of thousand to five thousand rupees. Vehicles running without a permit would have to pay a fine of ten thousand rupees and/or a period of six months of imprisonment or community service.