I live pretty close to a major school in Anna Nagar. In pre Covid-19 days, when schools were still up and running, young boys of that school, from 9th std to 12 std, used to ride around on expensive bikes like the Duke R15. Being young, their ability to understand risks and moderate their behavior, is also poor.
This happened a few years ago. I had had a fever all day and had barely eaten. I had to go out for some reason even though I was feeling quite weak and ill. I was attempting to cross the road and was halfway across, when I saw a bike approaching me at some speed.
In August 2020, just after the lock down was lifted I was travelling on my bike at around 6’o clock in the morning. A water tanker lorry had just passed ahead of me, leaking water. Oblivious to the water present on the road I was travelling at 40 kmph. A car ahead of me braked hard to avoid hitting a vehicle that stopped abruptly ahead of him.
I was waiting at the road intersection for the signal to go green. A couple of two wheeler riders were also waiting at the intersection.
On February 17th 2019, at around 9 am,I was travelling to Vandalur for my college project. We were a group of friends, all on their own bikes. I had one friend riding pillion with me. One of my friends started overtaking all of us and this started a road race, where I sped trying to stay ahead.
This happened in 2015 just after getting my college admission. We were returning home on a 2-wheeler. I was the rider with my father as a pillion. Both of us were not wearing helmets that day. At around 8 pm, we were quite close to getting home. A two wheeler travelling in the opposite direction came and hit us. Me and my dad were thrown off the bike. I fell with my face hitting the road and lost consciousness. My dad and other Good Samaritans on the road, came to help me and took me to the hospital.
In 2021 I took to cycling daily to my gym and back. Earlier my commuting was by bus and train but Covid stopped that. It feels great to be cycling again though I really wish other people were a little considerate towards cyclists. Many times, even when traffic is light, bikes and cars drive very close by, just a few inches away from me. This is quite scary because a small bump or pothole will make the cycle wobble and I can easily end up getting hit by the bike or car. All a motorist has to do is remember to leave a little space between us! Just for everyone’s safety.
Tamil Nadu in the past has had the dubious distinction of being in the top two states in terms of road crashes and road crash fatalities. However, in the past few years, the state has made strides in reducing road crash fatalities in particular. In this webinar, the audience were able to understand how Tamil Nadu tackled this unfortunate public health issue and the government's future plan to further reduce road crashes. This was followed by a lively discussion with participants and speakers.
In 2019, nearly 14% of deaths in road crashes could have been avoided if drivers and passengers had worn seatbelt. Whether its a short ride or a long one, it's time to belt up!
#roadsafety #saferoadsindia
Child restraints are special seat belts for children, designed to keep them safe in the car and are a requirement under the amended Motor Vehicles Act. Let's keep our children safe and use child restraints!