Better Safe Than Sorry: Loss Of Lives Outside College Premises In Bengaluru Prompts Authorities To Begin Road Safety Awareness Drive
Over the last year, the road outside Sapthagiri College in Bengaluru has seen over 30 road accidents. The college has also lost four of its students due to accidents
New Delhi: It is hard to imagine what a parent goes through when they see their son or daughter leave for the college but never return home or come back with serious injuries. In Hesaraghatta Main Road, also known as education hub of Bengaluru West, bikers flouting traffic rules are a menace, sometime a deadly menace. With bikers speeding through the stretch, without paying any heed to road safety rules, obituary posters, and police, number of road accidents and deaths in the area have become a cause of concern. In the year 2016-2017, 37 accidents took place on Hesaraghatta Main Road. During these 37 accidents, three individuals lost their life. In the year 2017-2018, 40 accidents cases were recorded. To tackle the growing instances of road accidents students of Sapthagiri College have taken a step towards making the roads safer.
College students highlights the importance of following road safety rules
Our college gate opens at 8:30 in the morning and around 3000 students rush into the college at that time. Apart from our college, there are numerous other colleges and schools in the same lane and in the morning, vehicles are lined up as parents come to drop their children. Amidst this, engineering and medical students drive like anything. They don’t pay attention to traffic rules and on top of this, there is no one to monitor all this, says KL Shivabasappaa, Principal of Sapthagiri college.
Over the last year, the road outside Sapthagiri College has seen over 30 road accidents. Four students of the college have lost their lives. Earlier in February, Gnanendra DS, an assistant professor for physics was hit by a speeding two-wheeler leading to a knee injury. Now he is unable to walk without some kind of support.
Professor Gnanendra DS
We have noticed that boys neither wear helmets nor possess license and drive like anything. Recently, one of our students met with an accident and died on the spot. Our students could not recognise him because he was neither carrying an identity card nor license. Students would have taken him to nearby hospital if he was known or could be recognised, recalls Mr Shivabasappaa.
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Concerned with the rising number of road accidents, the newly appointed principal decided to take up the issue. He along with the students and teachers decided to raise the level of awareness and ensure that students at least of their college follow the basic road safety rules. And for this, the administration formulated a couple of rules of which one states that entering or leaving the college premises on a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet is not allowed. The rule applies on pillion riders as well.
Additionally, the college has asked parents coming to drop or pick their children to wear a helmet and not exceed the speed limit of 40kmph. There will also be security personnel who will keep a close watch on offenders and students over speeding or riding without a helmet will be immediately sent back home.
Bike of one of the students who lost his life in a road accident
Last month, the students organised a cricket match in the memory of their friends and classmates who have lost their life in a road accident. The sole aim of the match was to highlight the importance of following traffic rules.
Many of the road accidents go unnoticed because victims don’t file a case, reason being no license. The onus of the safety of children lies in the hands of the parents. Firstly, parents should not allow their children to ride while they are minorS or don’t have a license. Parents also need to encourage road safety among their children, signs off Mr Shivabasappaa.
