National Road Safety Month From January 18

Shimla, Jan 7 –   A meeting was held today under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary K.K. Pant for organising National Road Safety Month. Senior officers of various department participated in the meeting.

Principal Secretary said that National Road Safety Month would be organised from 18^th January till 17^th February, 2021 and road safety related information would be provided to people through various awareness programmes.

He said that a State Level function would be organised on 18^th January at the Ridge, which would be presided over by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur. During the programme a Cycle Rally and Good Samaritan parade would also be flagged off along with various awareness activities. Various programmes related to road safety would also be organised at district level.

K.K. Pant said that an awareness campaign on protection of pedestrian, vulnerable group such as old age person, children, specially abled persons, etc. would be organised on 19^th and 20^th January and from 21^st to 23^rd January campaign on adverse effects of over speeding, awareness about good samaritan and workshop on road safety would be conducted. A campaign on importance of wearing helmets would be organised on 27^th and 28^th January, Observance of Rose day would be held on 29^th January to motivate drivers. Awareness campaign on wearing seat belt would be organised on 30^th January and 1^st February. Eye checkup camp for drivers would be organised on 2^nd and 3^rd February, awareness campaign on adverse effects of rash driving would be organised from 4^th to 6^th February, from 8^th February till 10^th February awareness campaign regarding ill effects of drunken driving, over loading and signature campaign to motivate people to abide by traffic laws would be organised. A meeting on measures of road safety would be held with local bodies on 11^th February and observance of Zero Tolerance Week from 12^th to 17^th February, 2021.

Principal Secretary said that according to the guidelines of the Supreme Court, people who assist in the event of an accident do not face any kind of legal problem. Such person could not be forced by the police or anyone else to reveal the identity. Any passer-by, who assists the person met with an accident, known as Good Samaritan, cannot be restrained in the hospital, cannot be taken to the police station for interrogation, cannot call them to court for testimony and cannot even summoned. He said that the number of deaths in road accidents would be reduced by participation of Good Samaritans.

Principal Secretary directed the officers of the department to ensure completion of preparation of National Road Safety Month in time bound manner.