Raymond Man Promotes Road Safety

The discussion venue was the Raymond headquarters in Thane

It is a rarity to see eminent business tycoons taking an initiative to spread a word or two about road safety, especially if they are not directly linked with either the automotive or the transport industry in India. We know how passionate Gautam Singhania is about fast cars and him organising an event to spread awareness about the dangers of disobeying traffic rules is surely commendable.

The venue for the discussion was the Raymond headquarters, located in Thane. Apart from Singhania and Jean Todt, who is the president of Federation Internationale de La I’Automobile (FIA) and United Nations special envoy for road safety, there were Satish Mathur, IPS, director general of police, along with Param Bir Singh, IPS, commissioner of police and Praveen Gedam, IAS, transport commissioner.

Todt emphasized on how FIA’s checklist to ensure absolute safety while driving takes care of every possible danger. He said that for four-wheelers, belting up and for bikes, wearing a helmet is the first step to safety. Next, to protect children inside the vehicle, always use booster seats and ensure they are anchored properly. Before you hit the road, ensure that the tyres are inflated up to the required air pressure.

On the move, obey traffic rules like lane-driving, observing speed limits and using dippers and indicators appropriately. Lastly, Todt said the rest of the aspects related to personal safety depends on how clear you are about the dangers of drunk-driving, using mobile phones on the move, being courteous to other drivers on the road and the importance of stopping for a break whenever tired.

Organising an event to solely promote safe driving, which in turn will have positive implications on road safety, is something that all powerful personalities should cater to. Every year, automakers in India organise camps to spread awareness on road safety across the country. If this initiative can be backed up by influential people like Singhania, the count of fatalities due to road accidents, that take place every year in India, will surely come down.