New Delhi: According to data shared by the ministry of road and transport, in 2016, on an average 28 two-wheeler riders died on India’s roads, whereas 15 car drivers lost their lives daily, reason – they were not adhering to the basic road safety guidelines like wearing a helmet or a seat belt. Sharing statistics of 2017, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari recently said that as many as 1.46 lakh people lost their lives in 4.60 lakh road accidents across the country in the year 2017 and majority of the road accidents involved two-wheelers where the victims were not wearing helmets. Partaking in the drive to bring about change in the attitude and mindset of the country’s citizens, Bollywood icon, Shah Rukh Khan speaking to NDTV on the sidelines of Auto Expo 2018 said,
“Please do wear seat belts and helmets, I think it is really cool and macho to wear seat belts. Life is worth much more than the little bit of discrepancies and discomfort which we all feel while we wear these safety measures.”
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Shah Rukh also said that he and his family takes pride in wearing seatbelts,
It takes a little while to get adaptive, but it feels very nice. I have a 5-year-old kid and I am 50 myself and we all take great pride in wearing seat belts.
He further urged every user to wear seat belts even at the back seats of their cars.
“Wearing seat belts just take a moment, and it is better to be safe.”
Speaking about two-wheelers and safety concerns, Shah Rukh Khan said,
I see lot of people not wearing helmets while they are riding a two-wheeler. That’s not at all safe, I insist everyone to wear one, even if they are going 10 feet or 20 feet away from their home.
He further added, “I have been in situation where having worn a helmet, even while shooting for a stunt has been very helpful and lifesaving. Always and always wear a helmet.”
In 2016, the share of two-wheelers in total road accidents increased from 28.8 percent in 2015 to 33.8 percent. The number of two-wheeler accident deaths stands at 52,500 and of this, in 10,135 cases the victims was not wearing helmets.
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